SC State strengthens ties to local schools with scholarship engagement tour during Homecoming
High school students from Orangeburg County and other South Carolina school districts gathered at SC State for a Scholarship Engagement Tour during Homecoming Week at the Martin Luther King Jr. Auditorium.
The Oct. 22 event also included scholarship awards for participating high school students, providing financial support as they prepare for college.
SC State administrators and students introduced the visiting seniors to the university's academic programs, financial opportunities and campus life.
Students toured the campus and enjoyed appearances by SC State's Marching 101 Band and cheerleaders, known as the Bulldog Baddies.
High school seniors share their experiences
Hunter-Kinard-Tyler High School seniors Jasir Robinson, 17, and Keanna Anthony, 16, said they enjoyed the tour. Both students are from Norway, South Carolina.
“It was entertaining. It showed us different majors and the diversity on campus. It’s another opportunity. It’s close to home, so it’s a top choice for sure,” said Robinson, who plans to pursue a career in computer science and cybersecurity.
Anthony, who plans to pursue engineering, said the event was enlightening.
“The experience was good. It showed us a lot of new opportunities that you have here. There’s a lot of diversity, so you can get to meet new people,” she said.
North High School seniors Steven Cannon and Amariah Bowman, both 17, came away with a better understanding of SC State's academic opportunities.
Cannon learned more about the nuclear engineering field, which interests him.
“The experience was great, especially learning about the nuclear engineering program. I didn’t know much about it, but I was glad to hear that SC State is the only college in South Carolina that has a program like that. I’ll hopefully be able to see myself there in the next year,” he said.
Bowman said the event provided valuable insight into the university.
“The experience was very great. It was very entertaining and very immersive, and it informed us a lot more about SC State. With me being so indecisive about where I want to go, it really gave me more insight into what the university has to offer,” she said.
“I really enjoyed it, the band, the Baddie Bulldogs. It was very fun, and I will definitely be looking at SC State from here on out,” she said.
Lake Marion High School seniors Toby White, 17, and Reginald Jefferson, 17, also attended the Oct. 22 event.
Jefferson, who is from Santee, said he enjoyed the university's family-like atmosphere.
“I would say it feels like home because I got people who come from Claflin University and SC State University. They’re right by each other. So it’s part of the culture to get intermingled, but my uncle went to SC State. He tells me all the time about the Bulldogs and how it was just a great experience,” he said.
Edisto High School seniors Emoree Simpson, 18, and Ryder Bingham, 17, both of Orangeburg, said the event gave them a glimpse of the university's academic and social environment.
“I felt like it was a great experience to see all the students talk. I hear people talking about it, but I never got to experience the South Carolina State experience,” Simpson said.
“I really felt like today was showing me what the experience is, especially with the Marching 101 and the students and cheerleaders. It just engaged me,” she said.
Bingham said the event offered a valuable look at student life.
“I feel like today was just a great opportunity just to see what actual student life is like. I heard all the different majors, just everything that the university has to offer,” he said.
University officials highlight academic and financial opportunities
University officials used the event to emphasize SC State's academic offerings, scholarship opportunities and campus environment as students consider their options after high school.
“We have students from 46 states and 18 foreign countries ... You can have a world-class experience right here on campus,” said Manicia Finch, vice president for enrollment management at SC State.
“Many of you have some great representatives already at your schools, some Bulldogs. Where my Bulldogs at?!” she said, prompting cheers and applause from alumni.
Davion Petty, SC State's assistant vice president of enrollment management, also welcomed the students. Attendees included students from visiting schools such as Hillcrest High School in Simpsonville.
“We’ve discovered that the students have not been on campus tours; they have not been exposed to other cultures, other students. So the idea about this annual event is to get the students exposed to the campus life at SC State, as well as give them scholarships,” he said.
Petty said SC State uses the Scholarship Engagement Tour to promote the university's accessibility and affordability.
“We have a lot of great academic offerings that we’re providing for our students. We’re rolling out a new academic offering and scholarship program for our students,” he said.
The university recently announced new scholarships for high-achieving students and student leaders, including the 1896 Promise Scholarship, which will be available beginning in the 2027-28 academic year to eligible South Carolina residents who graduate in the top 15% of their high school classes.
Nyla Jai, 19, a sophomore psychology major and Presidential Scholar from Las Vegas, was among the student leaders who spoke at the event. She is also a member of the Dr. Emily England Clyburn Honors College.
“My friends and I got up on stage and talked about our experience. That’s a lot of what SC State is. It’s formal, but it’s also family,” she said.
SC State President Alexander Conyers highlighted more than $200 million in campus construction projects underway, including a $50 million residence hall with approximately 500 beds, a $54.7 million academic building and a $20 million student center expansion.
“The great thing about that is that most of them will be ready in August of next year. So if you come to South Carolina State, you will get to enjoy all of these brand new buildings on this campus,” Conyers said.
A place to call home
For some visiting students, the tour offered more than information about majors, scholarships and campus facilities. It also provided an opportunity to envision themselves as future Bulldogs.
White, a Lake Marion High School senior from Holly Hill who plans to study English education, was among those who came away enthusiastic about the university.
“It felt like home. I want to come to SC State as an English education major, and just to see the students talk about their experience, I’m excited,” White said.