CHS
"Today, the Commission on Higher Education (CHE) presented Crescent High School (CHS) in Anderson County School District 3 the 2020 School of Excellence award. Developed collaboratively by the CHE and the American College Application Campaign (ACAC, affiliate of ACT), the award recognizes CHS’s counseling office for supporting seniors’ postsecondary education pursuits through a variety of college access programs. For many high school seniors, particularly those who will become first-generation collegegoers and those from low-income households, the resources and assistance available through these programs are critical to their continued educations. The award was presented to Mrs. Kathy Hipp, district superintendent, and Mr. Cliff Roberts, CHS’ principal, by Dr. Bettie Rose Horne, the CHE commissioner. Beth Black,
 director of school counseling at CHS attended the award presentation. She remarked,

 “In the pandemic culture of 20'-21', we felt it was more important than ever to provide the support needed to make the transition to college.  We wanted our students to have all available resources to apply to college and make college decisions.  We are grateful to the CHE for the College Access Programs they provide to Crescent students and others across the state..”

 The presentation concludes CHE’s College & Career Decision Month program, which began April 19. Conducted virtually again this year as a precaution for COVID-19, the program brought together public officials, higher education leaders, industry and military representatives, and local celebrities, to celebrate seniors’ graduations and express support for their postsecondary decisions—whether they plan on entering the workforce, attaining a workforce certification, attending a traditional 2- or 4-year school, or enlisting in the military. Dr. Karen Woodfaulk, Director of CHE’s Office of Student Services, commented, “This year, seniors have worked extremely hard throughout their time in high school to prepare for post-secondary education or enlist in the military… The class of 2021 faced great challenges due to the COVID pandemic, continued to persevere throughout those final steps, and made a decision about the next phase of their lives. This was not an easy process for many, and we support and celebrate these extraordinary, resilient seniors who are ready (and well-positioned) to move forward through any future challenges. Congratulations to the class of 2021!” Media related to the College & Career Decision Month celebration can be found on CHE’s social media accounts (@SCCommHigherEd on Twitter and @SCCommHigherEdu on Facebook). 
FOR IMMEDIATE CONTACT Award Inquiries: Dr. Gerrick Hampton, Associate Director of Student Affairs SC Commission on Higher Education (803) 734-4397 or ghampton@che.sc.gov Media Inquiries: Bunnie Lempesis Ward, Director of Governmental Affairs & Communications SC Commission on Higher Education (803) 737-1397 or bward@che.sc.gov ###
ABOUT CHE: The South Carolina Commission on Higher Education (CHE), established in 1967, serves as the coordinating board for South Carolina’s 33 public institutions of higher learning. It acts both as an oversight agency on behalf of the General Assembly and as an advocate for higher education. The CHE is responsible for assuring a balance between student and taxpayer interests and institutional policies, aspirations, and needs. The CHE is committed to access, affordability, and quality in the state system of higher education through coordination, regulation, advocacy and oversight, as directed by the General Assembly.