Almost two dozen future graduates of the South Carolina Governor’s School for Agriculture at John de la Howe recently gathered in the school library to take a huge next step toward their lives beyond the farm.

These ambitious Aggies were part of College Application Day 2022, an informal session in which 23 Aggie seniors completed a total of 77 applications to prospective colleges and universities. To assist with the effort, admissions offices at 21 colleges agreed to waive their application fees for the day.

“It was really important for students to have a variety of schools to choose from on College Application Day,” said Ms. Jalissa Newton, guidance counselor at the Governor’s School for Agriculture. “I reviewed students’ individual graduation plans from last year to select schools that students were interested in applying to.”

Among the colleges and universities selected by students at John de la Howe were Lander University, Francis Marion University, Fort Valley State University, Piedmont Technical College, Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College and Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) in Tifton, Ga. In fact, ABAC is a popular choice for Aggie applicants as several members of the first graduating class currently attend the public agricultural college in southwest Georgia, nationally known for its small and immersive farm education program so similar to the learning environment at John de la Howe.

Taylor Haigler, admissions counselor at Lander University, and JDLH senior class advisor Dr. Stacy Platt also helped the seniors navigate the college application process.

“I believe any student can do what they put their mind to, and often times that looks different for each student,” Ms. Newton said. “With our school specializing in agriculture, there are so many opportunities for them to take advantage of with trade schools, apprenticeships and two-year programs can lead them directly into their careers, while other careers future education.”

Mr. Greg Thompson, principal at the Governor’s School for Agriculture, was impressed by the enthusiasm of this year’s senior class for getting an early start on their future plans. Starting off on the right foot for their potential college careers is especially important as this next set of graduates aspires to surpass the almost $500,000 in scholarships earned by the JDLH Class of 2022, the school’s first-ever graduating class.

“It kickstarts their senior year with excitement when you have College Application Day,” Mr. Thompson said. “When you’re all in the same room and you’re all applying to colleges, it’s like they’re all catching the college fever.”