SC Whitmore School Announces 2022-2023 Student of the Year

Congratulations Karensen Smith, a senior from North, SC. Karensen is the SC Whitmore School 2022 - 2023 Student of the Year. He is working on completing his second and final year at SC Whitmore School (SCWS). Karensen has been a phenomenal student during his time at SCWS, and will graduate high school two years early.

He chose to enroll at the SC Whitmore School because of the flexibility and the opportunity to graduate early.

SC Whitmore School Principal, Eboné Adams said, “Karensen definitely exemplifies the "best all around," said Adams. “He embodies the values and ideals that we hold dear at our school. He has displayed a true passion for making a positive impact on the school and to those who interact with him. It's amazing that he's graduating 2 years early. That's such a huge accomplishment and a testament to his consistent pursuit of excellence. He's set the bar high for sure.”

Karensen has really enjoyed his experience at SCWS. The school challenged Karesen, but it has been a rewarding experience.

“The experience was honestly a tough one,” said Karensen. “I have been definitely challenged in courses and I am happy I made it this far.”

He was able to adapt to SC Whitmore School based on previous online schooling opportunities. He was kept on track with all of his schoolwork by attending classes every day to ensure he did not fall behind. Christine Featherstone, SC Whitmore’s Attendance Specialist saw Karensen's dedication to attending classes firsthand.

“Karensen hasn't missed a single day of school, participates in school activities, and is a fantastic student,” said Featherstone. “He is the true embodiment of making the most of your high school days.”

His School Counselor, Mrs. Gilbert also saw how hard Karensen worked in high school.

“Karensen has been working hard to finish high school in two years and he's in great shape to do just that once he completes his final courses at Virtual SC this summer,” said Gilbert. “He's also already been accepted to college and plans to become an engineer. He's active at our school, advocates for himself, and is a model student. He will be missed!”

Karensen plans to attend the University of South Carolina Aiken in the future.

“I want to study to become a mechanical engineer and possibly join some branch of the military,” said Karensen.

Karensen encourages new students to stay ahead in their assignments and ask for help from the faculty and staff when they do not understand something.

“I may have come here for the hours,” said Karensen. “I stayed because this was a very great school with nice and welcoming people and I am honored to accept the title of student of the year of 2022-2023 thank you.”

SC Whitmore School Executive Director, Kim Dunbar said, “Karensen has been an absolute pleasure during his time at SC Whitmore School. You can count on seeing Karensen at all of our virtual and in-person events. He works so hard and has made so many friendships. I’m so excited to see him achieve greatness as an engineer. We will miss his positive attitude and we wish him all the best.”

Karensen, we are very proud of your accomplishments! We look forward to your future success!

If you are interested in learning more about the SC Whitmore School, please visit us online at scwhitmoreschool.org.

Founded in 2011, SCWS offers a unique approach to education. This self-paced alternative online learning model allows students to advance through their online courses at their own pace. This model is appealing to students of all ability levels. Unique to any other public school in South Carolina, this self-paced model allows accelerated learners who are ahead of their peers the ability to graduate high school early. SCWS also serves as an alternative high quality educational option to those left behind in the traditional classroom settings.