BY DR. TIMOTHY LINTNER

​The Aiken Sunrise Rotary Club named Tiffany Zorn, an education major at the University of South Carolina Aiken, its Student of the Month for January 2020.

Zorn is majoring in secondary comprehensive social studies education, with a focus on middle-level social studies education.

"My professional goal is to teach within a South Carolina public school for at least four years," she said.

"After this time period and after obtaining a graduate degree, my desire is to advance into a state, federal, or non-governmental role, while maintaining a focus on enhancing education rights and availability for others."

To this end, she has already gotten started, conducting research in this area. Her scholarly work has been featured in the South Carolina Association for Middle Level Education Journal (2019), as part of her presentation at the South Carolina Association for Middle Level Education Conference, and during USC Aiken's annual Scholar Showcase.

Ultimately, she hopes to earn a doctorate, and her academic record to date provides a firm foundation for that goal. Zorn has served as a Teaching Fellow, a Palmetto Fellow, the Anne Richardson Gayles-Felton Endowed Scholarship recipient and has been on the President's List for seven semesters, and the Dean's List for two semesters.

In addition to her scholarly pursuits, Zorn has participated in several student organizations, including: Rotaract, Chancellor Ambassadors, Omicron Delta Kappa, Pi Gamma Mu, Sigma Alpha Pi, Leadership Certification Program, which included a Disney leadership experience and the Boston - Suffolk leadership exchange.

She credits USC Aiken with some of her personal and professional success and growth.

"I chose USC Aiken in the beginning because the campus is the closest four-year university to my home," Zorn said. "However, once I stepped foot on campus, I felt an immediate pull.

​"This pull has prevailed throughout my four years, drawing me closer to not only the campus community but also the Aiken community. I felt, and continue to feel, at home while at USC Aiken."
 

The Teaching Fellows at the College of Charleston adopted the Msamvu A primary school in the Morogoro municipality, which is 190 kilometers west of Dar es Salaam, the commercial capital of Tanzania. The school currently serves 1,224 students in grades K-7 and employs about 48 teachers. The majority of the children come from the neighboring community where families survive on an income of less than $1/day. Understandably, most of these children lack basic healthy meals, health care, school supplies, and books.

Children arrive at the school at 7:30 in the morning and return home at 3:30 in the afternoon. Students in grades four and seven (examination classes) are expected to stay after school for extra tutoring until 5:00. Many of these children eat one meal a day - dinner and walk over five miles to attend school. In 2012, College of Charleston professor, Dr. mutindi ndundabegan began working with the school while serving as a Fulbright Scholar. She returned in 2015, 2017, and 2018. During those years, the College of Charleston's, School of Education and Human Performance students raised money to purchase four water tanks that capture rainwater for the school. Msamvu primary is one of a small number of schools that have water tanks and can, therefore, provide drinking water and latrines. 

The Teaching Fellows at the College of Charleston raised money to buy lunches for all of the students for a period of four weeks. During this time, school attendance increased. The Teaching Fellows raised the money through bake sales, candy grams, and flea market sales, etc.

BY DR. TIMOTHY LINTNER

A doctor gone mad has imprisoned his patients in an Asylum where the living soon wished they were not! Into this ominous (and a bit creepy) scenario walked the USC Aiken Freshman Fellows as they tepidly entered “The Asylum” Escape Room in Augusta, GA. From poison to straightjackets, from a padded cell to a furnace of flames, the Fellows had to quickly solve clues or they, too, would be trapped inside The Asylum FOREVER! With a heavy dose of both leadership and laughter, they successfully dodged a most undesirable fate and escaped with more than 13 minutes to spare! Though a fun time was had by all, there are no immediate plans to return to THE ASYLUM!

Each November, the Anderson University Teaching Fellows hold a Veterans Appreciation Breakfast on campus. Veterans from all branches of service are invited to attend this free event. This year, 127 men and women joined the Teaching Fellows for the event, which includes an Honor Walk, the playing of Taps, speeches, and recognition for these heroes. The Teaching Fellows see this as an example of servant leadership. 

The junior cohort of Teaching Fellows at the College of Charleston (CofC) chose to partner with the Miracle League and the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) for their cohort projects. According to Jordan Smith, CofC's Teaching Fellows Vice-President, the goal of the Charleston Miracle League’s baseball game series is to "make life-changing memories with children and adults who have mental and physical challenges." Miracle League participants play in a baseball league together every Saturday and the 1/2 of the junior Teaching Fellows provided community service/support to these athletes. Specifically, the Teaching Fellows served as Youth/Adult League Buddies and were paired up with one of the Charleston Miracles players. The Teaching Fellows helped their "buddy" hit, run the bases, and field balls, as necessary. 

​The other 1/2 of the junior cohort of Teaching Fellows at CofC raised over $1,000, which was used to purchase toys for the children's wing at MUSC. The hospital lost the majority of their toys during one of the recent hurricanes. Maddie Gies, Teaching Fellows Cohort Representative, stated that the hospital's toy supply was already low before the hurricane and that the hospital staff was excited to receive the donations. 

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The story and photograph below appeared in the USC Aiken News on 10/16/19 and is included here with permission from Campus Director, Dr. Tim Lintner. 

Aiken, SC (10/16/2019) — Aiken's Sunrise Rotary Club named Kelsey Spurlin Student of the Month for October.
From the day she arrived on campus, she felt a sense of belonging and immersed herself in the opportunities at the University of South Carolina Aiken.

"USC Aiken immediately felt like a home away from home," Spurlin said.

"I felt that the family atmosphere, tight-knit community, and highly qualified faculty and staff were the best fit for me both academically and athletically.
The education major from Gaffney, SC, graduates in May with a concentration in English. She plans to earn her master's degree in curriculum and instruction. While she hopes to teach in a high-school setting, a doctorate may be in her future, according to the senior who has been named to the President's List every semester she's been at the University of South Carolina Aiken.

While she's maintained a perfect GPA, she's also been busy outside the classroom, both as a student-athlete on the volleyball team but also as a student-leader, serving as an orientation team leader and Pacesetter, critical jobs which help introduce new students to campus. Spurlin also represented the university as a Chancellor Ambassador, working closely with elected, business and civic leaders who support the university and with donors who generously share their resources to ensure the most engaging educational experiences for students.

In addition, she served in a variety of other capacities, including: as a Teaching Fellow, vice president of Sigma Tau Delta English Honors Society, treasurer of Kappa Delta Pi Education Honors Society, and a member of Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Honors Society.
For her athletic prowess and educational achievements, Spurlin has earned the Peach Belt Conference's Elite 15 Award, been named to the PBC All-Academic team, and was selected as USC Aiken's Secondary Education Student of the Year.
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Although she stays busy on campus, Spurlin makes time for her hobbies. She has coached volleyball to local youth, loves being outdoors, and enjoys spending time with her family.

Alaina Rink, a member of the 2013 cohort at the College of Charleston (CofC), chose to spend her summer teaching English to children in China. Rink learned about the experience from a colleague while participating in a Colonial Charleston Summer Institute. The Chinese program sought native English speakers who were willing to interact with students of all ages. According to Alaina, "Although Chinese students study English from an early age, my students had never had a foreign teacher. As I needed to adapt to the different age groups and types of school, my lesson plans went out the window." She credits the SC teaching Fellows Program for refining her professionalism and cultural sensitivity, both of which were necessary for her success with this endeavor. Ms. Rink will teach English II at Charleston County School of the Arts during the 2019-20 academic year. She admitted that she experienced fewer "first day jitters" this year because of her experience in China. "After successfully teaching a group of students whose language and culture I was trying to learn on the job without a translator, returning to my beloved school was a breeze. This experience reinforced my belief that language is not a barrier but a bond," said Rink. ​

Luke Harris, a USC Teaching Fellow, was recently named an EdVenture Fellow. EdVenture is a children's museum in Columbia, SC. As an EdVenture Fellow, Luke will have the opportunity to work with children from all backgrounds in a classroom setting multiple days a week. In all, he will log over 780 hours of classroom teaching experience!  Luke is looking forward to refining his craft by honing his strengths and identifying his personal areas of challenge. He also will gain experience with project-based learning, educational data/research, curriculum, and lesson planning. Luke explained that the biggest benefit of the Fellowship is the networking aspect. "EdVenture is a leader in education and is often a center point of conferences and meetings between top educational advocacy groups, school districts, legislators, and others interested in the future of education. The connections I have made in the past month alone is incredible."

Edventure Fellows complete an application process, which includes a review of academic factors, and submit two letters of recommendation to the selection committee. Luke noted that Teaching Fellows played a huge role in his identification as an EdVenture Fellow.