CHAMPS students Ladiasha Thompson, left, and Kaitlynn Hughes helped make
Lydia Mill Park a little nicer. More than 100 Laurens County students performed
multiple community service projects during the two-week CHAMPS summer program.
Clinton Chronicle photo by Keiana Page
July 9, 2007
By Keiana Page
The Clinton Chronicle
(reprinted with permission) Although school's out for summer, it's not out forever for 129 Laurens County students. For two weeks, they were setting educational and social priorities like champs.
The Communities Helping, Assisting, and Motivating Promising Students (CHAMPS) program kicked off its annual summer residential program June 3 at Presbyterian College. This year the program had a theme of "Developing the Skills of Setting Priorities."
"Education is very (important)," said CHAMPS Director Dr. Jerman Disasa. "We want them to stop hopping around, select (priorities), and stay glued to them."
Education is a major priority for the CHAMPS students, who are in grades 7 through 12, as they take enrichment courses in English, math, and science, and character education.
For their character education sessions, the students examined the Book of Mark in the Bible. The morning sessions also included words of wisdom from different guest speakers throughout the county, including Laurens School District 56 Teacher of the Year Rona Neely and Rita Henderson of Laurens County Literacy Council.
Local leaders and businessmen, including District 16 Rep. Adam Taylor, also came out to talk about priorities with CHAMPS students in the evening.
"We want to expose them to professions," said Disasa. "We want them to work hard and build character."
Another character building exercise for CHAMPS students was service projects throughout the community. The students performed several highway cleanups and did landscaping at Lydia Mill Park.
While the CHAMPS summer program involved a lot of hard work and study, it also included fun and games. The students enjoyed outdoor activities and field trips to Lake Greenwood, Clemson University, and local water treatment facilities.
Marques Tribble, a rising freshman at Clinton High School, said he's enjoyed being included with the CHAMPS summer program.
"When we went out and helped the community, I liked doing that," he said. "It makes me better."
Laurens Middle School student Danielle Gary said she's enjoyed making new friends and learning new things during the summer program, which ran through June 16.
"I hope to learn many things to help me in college," she said. "I expect to go to college here (at PC). I don't know what I want to be yet."
Gary said she thinks CHAMPS will help her to make that decision.
"I'm confident when they leave this place they will have what it takes to make (a plan) and stick to it," said Disasa.
Posted by sowens@presby.edu | 
