GCS honors partners, students, and staff at 50th annual Salute to Education
Greenville County Schools celebrated the 50th annual Salute to Education banquet on Thursday, May 19, 2022 at the Greenville Convention Center. This end of the year celebration recognizes outstanding accomplishments by GCS schools and staff members from throughout the year, unveils the newest GCS Partner of the Year, reveals the winners of the 2021-22 Employee of the Year program, and recognizes honor graduates from each of the district’s 14 high schools, the Fine Arts Center, and four career centers. This year’s Master of Ceremonies was Patrick Hussion from WYFF4.
This year’s honorees are:
2022 Partner of the Year
- Greenville Federal Credit Union
2022 Employees of the Year
School Support Employee of the Year
- Joy McKinney, Office Clerk from Oakview Elementary
District Support Employee of the Year
- Mary Hearne, Secretary to the Executive Director of Human Resources at the Central Office.
Operations Employee of the Year
- Roger Pennington, Plant Engineer at J.L. Mann High Academy
Assistant School Administrator of the Year
- Brad Griffith, Assistant Principal at J.L. Mann High Academy.
School Administrator of the Year
- Vee Popat, Director of the Fine Arts Center.
District Professional Employee of the Year
- Phillip Davie, Associate Superintendent for Operations
PTA/Staff/School Salutes 2021-2022 National PTA | SC PTA
National PTA Schools of Excellence
- Blythe Elementary Academy
- Bryson Elementary School
- Fork Shoals School
- Plain Elementary School
- Sterling School
Oakview Elementary Outstanding Support Staff of the Year| SC PTA
- Joy McKinney
J.L. Mann High Academy Outstanding Support Staff of the Year | SC PTA
- Carla Washington
Oakview Elementary Outstanding Administrator of the Year | SC PTA
- Dr. Phillip Reavis
Staff
Abby Bays, Monaview Elementary
SC Elementary School Counselor of the Year
Palmetto State School Counselor Association
Kim Groome, Hillcrest Middle
SC Middle School Counselor of the Year
Palmetto State School Counselor Association
Erin Carroll, Eastside High
SC High School Counselor of the Year
Palmetto State School Counselor Association
David Burgess, Buena Vista Elementary
Distinguished Literacy Administrator
Palmetto Literacy Association
Stephanie Collins, Blue Ridge High
2021 AP CSP Female Diversity Award
College Board
Meredith Smith, Wade Hampton High
2021 AP CSP Female Diversity Award
College Board
Dr. Wonda Hillard, Bell’s Crossing Elementary
SC Elementary Art Educator of the Year
SC Art Education Association
Staci Purvis, Berea Elementary
SC Art Educator of the Year
SC Art Education Association
Donna Shank-Major, Fine Arts Center
R. Scot Hockman Teacher Grant Award
SC Art Education Association
Hannah Quinley, Mauldin High
Earth Science Teacher of the Year
SC Earth Science Teachers Association
Joseph Miles, Ralph Chandler Middle
Brunn Innovations in Geography Award
National Council for Geographic Education
Schools/Departments
Greer Middle
2022 Dick and Tunky Riley Award for SIC Excellence
SC School Improvement Council
Dr. Phinnize J. Fisher Middle
Northwood Middle
National School to Watch
National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform
Simpsonville Elementary
Leader in Me Lighthouse School
Franklin Covey Company
Woodmont High
2022 Model School
International Center for Leadership in Education
CLASS OF 2022 HONOR GRADUATES
BEREA HIGH
- Foster Reid Campbell
- Kaitlyn Alyssa Wood
- Mariana Joly Londono
BLUE RIDGE HIGH
- Michael Hunter Finley
- Aiden Riley Lockhart
CAROLINA HIGH AND ACADEMY
- Kadence Olivia Outz
- Nhan Cao Do
DONALDSON CAREER CENTER
- Halle Lee Ramey
EASTSIDE HIGH
- Mary Grace Walker
- Paul Christopher Dilly
- Hayes Fulton Brown
- Jillian Margaret Witbeck
ENOREE CAREER CENTER
- Kiley Michelle Meredith
FINE ARTS CENTER
- Sarah Ann McFeely
GOLDEN STRIP CAREER CENTER
- Megan Elizabeth Smith
GREENVILLE SENIOR HIGH ACADEMY
- Jake Andrew Baumhofer
- Reese Luca Beeby
- Murray Elizabeth Freedman
- Thea Elise Blue
GREER HIGH
- Matthew Vincent Lauriault
- William Gregory James
- Lauren Bennett Major
HILLCREST HIGH
- Cody Judson Powell
- Kimberlee Rebecca Warren
- Kandice Jalen Freeman
- Kory Robert Clark
J HARLEY BONDS CAREER CENTER
- Mills Gregory Walters
J.L. MANN HIGH ACADEMY
- Vaishnavi Bharadwaj
- Mya Jane Dunham
- Mary Caroline Shelley
- Kavya Laghate
- Simon Samuel Draper
- Walt Gassler Wilber
MAULDIN HIGH
- Jennifer Kei Centa
- Brian Nguyen
- Julia Ziyue-Shen Liu
- Marsh Elizabeth Kral
RIVERSIDE HIGH
- Aanem Arsalan Hasnie
- Nyah Joudeh
- Ryan Marshall Soug
- Arjun Gramopadhye
SOUTHSIDE HIGH ACADEMY
- Zill Ashwin Patel
- H Emily Ting Yi
TRAVELERS REST HIGH
- McKenna Noelle Hammack
- Julian Tudor Howard
- Anna Grace Hughes
WADE HAMPTON HIGH
- Sydney Alexandra Kaminsky
- Mariela Rodriguez
- Aman Nakhwal
- Blake Robert Williams
- Elijah Michael Espinosa
WOODMONT HIGH
- Daniel Alexander Romoser
- Anne Marie Brundage
- Emily Ann Michenfelder
- Alexander Logan McCain