Governor’s School alumni celebrate 20th anniversary of its founding

Last April, the Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics celebrated the beginning of its 20th anniversary year.

Now, the school continues that observance with a homecoming weekend to celebrate with its alumni.

We hope they are impressed with the new campus and the plans for the school’s future.

Plans are to not only expand the school’s size but also to have new programs in economics and engineering.

The school will continue its anniversary year by expanding its programs in Asia and Europe.

After this weekend, the school plans to honor its donors and the community and will hold a special graduation ceremony in May.

The school was founded in 1988 by the late Gov. Carroll Campbell and former Sonoco Products Co. chairman Charles Coker.

For a number of years, it operated out of buildings at Coker College in Hartsville.

It moved to its own facility several years ago in Hartsville, and this year, it began construction on 70,000 square feet of additional academic and activity space.

The new space will allow the school to more than double the number of students it can serve, as well as additional teachers.

In 2010, they hope to be educating 300 students (juniors and seniors in high school) from all over South Carolina.

“This is a tremendously exciting time for the Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics,” GSSM president Dr. Murray Brockman said in a statement from the school.

“We are entering our 20th year at the same time we are embarking on the final phase of construction of our new campus. The new facilities will launch dramatic expansions of our school. Not only will we grow in size, we will increase the scope of our endeavors to include innovative new programs in economics and engineering.”

Since its founding 20 years ago, the school has educated more than 1,100 students, and countless others have benefited from summer programs and distance learning.

Current figures show that more than 52 percent live and work in our state.

And the others who are out of state surely serve as ambassadors for our state, as well.

In the class of 2008, about 66 percent are attending college in South Carolina.

After the weekend celebration, we hope even more are ready to return home.