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ORANGEBURG, SC (WOLO) — Claflin University is awarding a $20,000 scholarship to 15 elementary students within the Orangeburg County School District.
The fourth and fifth graders took part in an “MLK Oratory Competition” — reciting a three to five minute long speech from memory.
For participating in the contest, Claflin University decided to award each student with $5,000 per year, should they choose to attend Claflin about a decade from now.
The only catch? The students must maintain at least a 3.0 grade point average while attending middle school and high school to keep their scholarship.
President of Claflin University, Dr. Dwaun Warmack, says they wanted to give the students something to strive for while removing the financial barrier.
“As the oldest historically Black college in the state of South Carolina and one of the top institutions in the state, it’s important that education is our business. We celebrate 155 years, and if we’re not investing in our own backyard, and the amazing kids in the Orangeburg School District, then who else will? And so, we believe in it not just theoretically, but practically as well,” says Warmack.
Fourth grader Imani Jean came in 1st place in the competition.
She repeated a portion of her speech by saying, “If I can help somebody as I pass along, if I can cheer somebody, with a word or a song, if I can show somebody that they’re traveling wrong, then my living will not be in vain.”
Fourth grader Kiah Gathers also competed in the oratory contest and shared a piece of her speech by saying, “Our slogan must not be burn baby burn, but, build baby build. Organize baby organize. Yes learn baby learn, so you can earn, baby earn.”
And what do they plan on doing after graduating from college one day?
Both it seems may end up on television.
“I might like to be on the news, and I’m actually gonna major in Mass Comm,” says Jean.
“I would really probably like to do hair, dancing, and singing,” says Gathers.
And Claflin may be just the place to make those dreams come true. According to Dr. Warmack, the university has remained in the Top Ten HBCUs for the last 14 years.
© 2024 ABC Columbia.
