Five J. L. Mann High Students Complete Accelerate Virtual Engineering Program
Weston Belk, McKenzie Fletcher, Henry Moore, Sarah Smith and Kyle Wolfe, J. L. Mann High Academy seniors, received certificates of completion for Accelerate, the South Carolina Governor’s School for Science & Mathematics’ (GSSM) virtual engineering program, on Saturday, May 21, 2016.
Weston Belk, son of Jeffrey and Nathalie Belk; McKenzie Fletcher, daughter of Billy and Louise Fletcher; Henry Moore, son of Josh M. Moore and Lucynda W. Moore; Sarah Smith, daughter of David W. and Mary H. Smith; and Kyle Wolfe, son of Roy and Julie Wolfe, will attend Clemson University in the fall.
The award and recognition ceremony was designed to celebrate their achievements and successful completion of this one-of-a-kind, three-year engineering program.
Originally launched with private support, Accelerate is currently funded through a combination of corporate partnerships and funds from the South Carolina General Assembly. The program stresses mastery of the foundational tools of engineering, such as physics, calculus and chemistry, but also places significant emphasis on real-world, team-based projects, creativity and communication.
In total, 16 students from around the state received their certificates, representing five South Carolina high schools. These Accelerate students completed a formal application process to be invited into the program and have spent the last three years taking live, online classes, as well as participating in Saturday Experiences, science labs, and annual week-long summer camps. Many of their projects were based on the Grand Challenges for Engineering from the National Academy of Engineering.