Other Governor's School is big piece of puzzle

e-mail this story discuss this issue in our forums Guest column • Howard Daniel and Michael Fanning: Other Governor's School is big piece of puzzle (02/15/05) • Bill Pierce: Walking can do wonders for you (02/15/05) • Tony Beam: Founding Fathers didn't ban Christian-themed calendars (02/15/05) • Rep. Harry F. Cato: Lack of tort reform gives state a black eye (02/13/05) • David Shi: Media manipulation by government nothing to stop the presses over (02/12/05) More details Howard Daniel is a shareholder in Ogletree, Deakins, Smoak and Stewart. Daniel served as vice chair of economic development at the Greenville Chamber during 2003 and 2004 and continues to serve on that board. Michael Fanning is vice president of corporate affairs for Michelin North America and serves on several national industry boards. Both serve on the foundation board of the Governor's School for Science and Mathematics.

Like its sister school, the Governor's School for Science and Mathematics is a public residential high school. More than 125 students from 36 counties call GSSM home. Although this school is not in Greenville, more than 100 Upstate students have graduated from GSSM since it opened in 1988, and they will have an enormous impact on our region and our state's future.

These bright young people feed off a highly motivated and talented faculty and, more importantly, each other. They take advanced courses in math and science, then perform important research under the watchful eyes of the best scientific minds at Clemson, Furman, MUSC, USC, and in private industry. This research tackles challenges like tracking dangerous weather patterns, seeking cures for disease or identifying new computer models for business efficiency.

These students will graduate and go to the best colleges and universities our state has to offer. Others will attend institutions of higher learning outside our state, such as Duke, Georgia Tech, Princeton, Harvard, MIT and Stanford. The good news for South Carolina is that a majority of GSSM graduates ultimately choose to pursue careers in the Palmetto State, working in engineering, medicine or other fields. Part of the success of the Governor's School program is showing these young people that the kind of jobs they will want can be available right here in their own backyard.

The inescapable fact that South Carolina needs to attract and retain talent, particularly in the areas of science and math, is at the root of the message that Michael Porter, Darla Moore and business, state and education leaders are espousing. As former U.S. Secretary of Education and South Carolina Gov. Richard Riley once said, "We cannot sit still rooted to the chalk board when a 12-year-old can literally touch his or her mouse pad and travel from Web site to Web site around the world."

The logic is almost circular — we must not work under the premise of "if you build it, they will come." A region must have cultural amenities to attract quality jobs, but quality jobs will not come without economic conditions that provide challenge and opportunity. It is fine to discuss ICAR and the Health Science Research initiatives and all the benefits those endeavors may offer. However, a fundamental question remains, "Where are we to find the talent to fill jobs in those areas and will those talented individuals want to make South Carolina their home?"

As we see it, our future as a region and state depends on attracting bright young people to our state to fill those jobs and fuel further growth. We also know attracting and retaining people who already know and love our state is easier than drawing those with no familiarity. We in the Upstate need to support both of our state's outstanding Governor's Schools. We must be vigilant to look out for those young people who have a gift and encourage them to look at GSSM and what it has to offer. Students who apply and have the ability will be accepted. The state and the GSSM Foundation will make sure none is denied due to financial limitations.

There are only a dozen similar residential high schools for math and science in the country. This is one area where South Carolina can be at the forefront in education. We as citizens need to encourage Gov. Mark Sanford and our Legislature to continue to support GSSM, while at the same time look for that bright young person and encourage him or her to apply. These young people — and their allegiance to our state — are a big piece of the puzzle that is our state's economic future.