The president of South Carolina State University visited Lucy C. Laney Comprehensive High School Monday morning as part of a bus tour to recruit Georgia students to the historically Black school.
Several local officials greeted President Alexander Conyers and his wife, Agatha Conyers, as they stepped off the bus, including school principal Cordaryl Middleton, school board member Patsy Scott, South Carolina State Board of Trustees chair Douglas Gantt, and Rosa Ishmal, president of the Augusta Chapter of the South Carolina State Alumni Association.
“Ultimately, I want [Laney students] to choose South Carolina State University… because it will provide them an opportunity that’s unmatched from any other HBCU in the country,” said Alexander Conyers, noting the school has already offered more than 20 scholarships to Laney Students. “It’s close to home, close enough for their family, yet it’s not as expensive as some of the private institutions are.”
Laney High School was the first stop of a tour through Georgia high schools to stoke interest in S.C. State, and to inform students of an opportunity to attend the university with in-state tuition.
Last year, the S.C. State Board of Trustees enacted a policy allowing students from Georgia who maintain a 3.0 average to pay in-state tuition rates.
“We want to make this opportunity affordable for those students,” said Gantt.
Conyers and his entourage started their presentation to Laney students, assembled in the school gym, with a performance by the SC State cheerleading team, and talks by Conyers, Gantt, and current students and staff about pursuing education and what the school has to offer.
Gantt singled out Augusta’s alumni chapter for particular praise, calling it “top notch,” for the extent of opportunities it pursues prospective students in the area.
“This type of networking and mentorship, we simply can’t get in too many other places,” he said.
The bus tour will continue through the week, ending in Atlanta, where it will stop at several high schools by the weekend.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
