Meet Kelsey Whetstone, a new Clyburn Scholar at SC State University
The Orangeburg resident wants to be a pediatrician.
An Orangeburg resident, Whetstone is cozily familiar with SC State, having spent her pre-kindergarten years at SC State’s Childhood Development Learning Center and her K-8 years at Felton Laboratory School on campus before enrolling at the High School for Health Professions. Plus, her parents are Bulldog alumni, making her a legacy freshman.
As she pursues her pre-medical path, she has the enriching support of SC State’s Dr. Emily England Clyburn Honors College as one of nine newly inducted 2025 Clyburn Scholars.
“Grounded, service-minded, and academically driven, Kelsey Whetstone exemplifies the Clyburn Honors standard of intellect, integrity, and impact,” said Dr. William H. Whitaker Jr., the Honors College’s dean. “She is a legacy Bulldog scholar preparing to care for South Carolina’s youngest patients and to lead with heart in the field of medicine, uniting science and compassion to help children thrive.”
At the Orangeburg High School for Health Professions, Whetstone earned a 4.8 GPA, ranked in the Top 5 of 100, and was recognized as a Junior Marshal. She is a Certified Nursing Assistant and an alumna of Palmetto Girls State (2024), where she was selected to return as a Production Junior Counselor for 2025.
Her leadership record includes service as a Student Government Association member-at-large, student activities director, and SGA vice president; a member of the HOSA Publication Team; and longstanding involvement with Jack & Jill of America, Inc., serving as Teen Foundation Chair and Teen Legislative Chair.
Whetstone has volunteered across Orangeburg and the region, supporting community health fairs, food and holiday drives, senior outreach, and voter-awareness efforts, amassing over 75 hours of nonpartisan outreach to citizens in North Carolina and Georgia.
On campus, she continues that spirit through involvement in HOSA, Journalism Club, and Gardening Club.
Whetstone is a recipient of the Clyburn Honors College General Scholarship, which allows her to focus on rigorous coursework, research opportunities, and medical-school preparation. She noted that scholarship support empowers her to choose pediatrics out of passion and purpose, not pressure from debt.
About the Clyburn Scholars Program
The Dr. Emily England Clyburn Honors College at South Carolina State University proudly celebrates the continued generosity of the Dr. Emily England Clyburn Endowed Honors College Scholarship Fund, an enduring endowment honoring Congressman James E. Clyburn and the late Dr. Emily England Clyburn.
Established to support high-achieving students who demonstrate academic excellence, leadership, and a passion for community engagement, the Dr. Emily England Clyburn Endowed Honors College Scholarship Fund has become a cornerstone of the Honors College’s mission to elevate student success and expand opportunity for South Carolina’s most promising young scholars.
“The Honors College is forever grateful to the Clyburn family for choosing to invest in the lives of some of our best and brightest students here at South Carolina State University,” Whitaker said. “These financial gifts are noble and profoundly impactful, ensuring that our scholars can focus on academic excellence without the barriers of financial hardship.
“We accept these gifts with humility and a renewed commitment to the ideals of leadership, service, and scholarship that the Clyburn name represents,” Whitaker said. “This scholarship does more than ease financial burdens. It inspires our scholars to lead lives of purpose and to give back to the communities that shaped them.”
For more information about SC State’s Dr. Emily England Clyburn Honors College, contact
Dr. William Whitaker, the Honors College’s dean, at wwhitak3@scsu.edu or 803-533-3710, or Dr. Windy A. Mack Stephenson, the Honors College’s executive director,
at wmack3@scsu.edu or 803-516-4610.