“This was a very emotional experience for me,” said Spearman. “To see dozens of students on stage with me and to think about the more than 2,000 students who decided to join our military is a very special moment to celebrate. These young men and women have made the decision to put themselves in harm’s way to secure our freedoms and way of life. That is not a decision taken lightly and it should be celebrated across every community in our state. These young men and women have made the decision to be the guardians of our freedom and I commend them for volunteering to serve,” concluded Spearman.
The new program Spearman launched consists of red, white, and blue honor cords given to seniors who are enlisting in the military upon graduation, joining ROTC in college, or attending a military academy. The cords are provided by the state and authorized to wear at all statewide graduations. This year, more than 2,000 seniors are joining the Armed Forces.
Invitations were sent statewide for school districts to join Spearman in Columbia at her press conference and the following districts represent a statewide sample of men and women who have decided to serve their country in uniform. Photographs of the ceremony can be seen online here.
Orangeburg School District Five
Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School
Shiann Anderson – S.C. Army National Guard
Jacob Howell – S.C. Army National Guard
Emoni Chaplin – U.S. Navy
Bethune-Bowman High School
Darius Lamont Anderson – U.S. Army
Keyon Ni’Aris Byrd – U.S. Army
Spartanburg School District Two
Boiling Springs High School
Douglas Fast – U.S. Navy ROTC Scholarship, Norfolk State University
Tamere Smith – U.S. Naval Academy
Chandler Coggins – U.S. Navy
Collin Norris – U.S Army
Spartanburg School District One
Landrum High School
Ian Wingo – U.S. Air Force
Cole Owens – U.S. Navy Reserves
Bobby Starkman – S.C. Army National Guard
Chapman High School
Josh Bradley – U.S. Marine Corps
Allison Bodily – U.S. Air Force
Joseph Limoli – U.S. Air Force
Kevin Steed – U.S. Marine Corps
Brian Wilhelm – U.S. Air Force
Qualin-Mack Nesbitt – U.S. Marine Corps
Nictavious Jeter – U.S. Marine Corps
Lexington-Richland Five
Irmo High School
Grayson Gossett – U.S. Naval Academy
Katrina Isabella Matese – U.S. Navy
Deja Sammone Shuler – U.S. Army
Lauren Taylor Watts – U.S. Army
Matthew Wayne Bradshaw – S.C. Army National Guard
David Zachary Staton – S.C. Army National Guard
Chapin High School
Nicholas Austin – U.S. Air Force
Andrew Arrison – U.S. Army
Laurens School District 56
Clinton High School
Donovan Benson – U.S. Army
Luke Ragin – U.S. Air Force
Chesterfield School District
Central High School
Dadric Miller – S.C. Army National Guard
Calrico Miller – S.C. Army National Guard
Lexington School District One
Lexington High School
Katie Marie Ayala – U.S. Marine Corps
Caleb Alan Dill – U.S. Marine Corps
Tanner Shayne DePriest – U.S. Marine Corps
Hannah Leigh Jernigan – S.C. Army National Guard
John Clair Kennedy – U.S. Navy
Samuel David Poole – U.S. Navy
Andrew Byron Jamison – U.S. Navy Reserves
Nathan Ryan McKenna – S.C. Army National Guard
Robert Charles Whitworth, III – U.S. Marine Corps Reserves
Aaron Randall Frazier – U.S. Army Reserves
Saluda School District
Saluda High School
Matthew Rollins – U.S. Army
Charles Parker – S.C. Army National Guard
Brandon Ouzts – S.C. Army National Guard
Sumter School District
Crestwood High School
Francine Grant – U.S. Army
Jasmine Chandler – U.S. Air Force
Dakota Gainey – U.S. Marine Corps
Lakewood High School
Jamal Cowell – U.S. Air Force
Hunter Hoover – U.S. Air Force
Kaleb Richards – U.S. Air Force
Sumter High School
Zachary Shoen – U.S. Army
Jhemi Farmer – S.C. Army National Guard
Brittany Gibbs – S.C. Army National Guard
Richland School District Two
Blythewood High School
Elijah Lake – U.S. Naval Academy
Spring Valley High School
Cameron Jones – West Point
Matthew Frierson – U.S. Air Force Academy
Richland Northeast High School
Allysha Brodil – U.S. Navy
Ridge View High School
Sauntavia Parker – U.S. Army Reserves
Westwood High School
Shane Harkness – U.S. Air Force
Clarendon School District Two
Manning High School
Ashaunia Conyers – U.S. Army
Jada Daney – U.S. Army
Colie Lee – U.S. Marine Corps
Florence School District Two
Hannah Pamplico High School
Monique Barr – U.S. Army Reserve
Latson Singletary – U.S. Army Reserve
Dustin Gregory – U.S. Army
Rodney Singletary – U.S. Army
Anetra Brown - U.S. Army
South Florence High School
Justin McElveen – U.S. Army
Natalie Hall – U.S. Army
Tyrone Comer – U.S. Army
Richland School District One
A.C. Flora High School
Maria Mahogony Streater – U.S. Army
Sarah Alvarado – U.S. Marine Corps
Maurice Clayton Linen, Jr. – U.S. Navy
Ali Oras Farouk – U.S. Marine Corps
Dreher High School
Calvin Pough – U.S. Navy
Makayla Keitt – U.S. Army
