Family as a support system seemed to be a theme at the 17th annual Upchurch and Jowers All-County Academic Team Banquet at Bethesda Baptist Church on Monday evening.  Upchurch and Jowers and the Kershaw County School District honored the best and the brightest 31 high school seniors in the county.

The business partnership Upchurch and Jowers have with the Kershaw County School District was formed before being a partner with a school district was became popular said Kershaw County School Board Chair Mara Jones and KCSD Superintendent Dr. Frank Morgan.

The academic team is made up of the top 10 students from each of Kershaw County’s three high schools, as well as the student with the highest ACT/SAT score at each school

“After reading a story in the Chronicle-Independent about the all-county football team, it occurred to us that athletic excellence is honored often, but sometimes, academic excellence is overlooked. Hence, the Upchurch and Jowers All-County Academic Team was born,” said Vicki McLemore, a customer insurance service representative with Upchurch and Jowers.

“The idea is to recognize the kids,” Joe Upchurch said. “It’s been a great 17 year partnership.”

Upchurch and Jowers, a home, business and auto insurance company founded in 1961, co-sponsored the academic team with National Grange Mutual Insurance Company. In its 17 years, only 465 former KCSD students have been Upchurch and Jowers All-County Academic Team honorees.

Before students accepted their plaques they were allowed to announce their post-graduation plans, their favorite memories and thank their family members. Many cited their parents as their “rock” throughout their high school careers and acknowledged their favorite teachers.

Joseph “Jo Jo” Tiller, 18, of Camden High School, stays active with tennis, is the president of the National Honor Society (NHS) and is active in his church’s youth group. He said is family is “really supportive and pushed me to do the best I can.”

“I tend to focus more on school,” he said. “An education is really important and doing well in school will me out later.”
His fellow All-County Academic Team member Kemi Balogun, 18, is senior class president, president of one of Camden High School’s service clubs, and is active in NHS and Beta Club. Her family is from Africa and “have worked really hard to get me here.”

Both students have siblings who they encourage to do their best and get an education.

2012 Upchurch and Jowers All-County Academic Team include:

Lugoff-Elgin High School-Aaron Chandler Cleverly, Taylor Christian Cornor, Justin Ward Earnhart, Justin Robert Gilstrap, Katelyn Nicole Johnson, Victoria Leigh McElveen, Kandice Elizabeth Miles, Taylor Marie Phipps, Zachary Dillon SMith, Sean Alexander Stewart

North Central High Shool-Stacy Marie Boone, Michelle Lee Davis, Carman Willie Fowler, Tyler Kendrick Harris, Miranda Kelsey Peebles, Lindsay Michelle Privette, Tiffany Lee Rogers, Samantha Brooke Snipes, Christopher Jermaine Turner, Bradley Taylor Vincent

Camden High School- Oluwakemi Margaret Balugun, Corey Briette Blanks, Alyssa Jean Buschman, Rachel Elaine Cobb, Davis Craig Goodrich, Ashley Elizabeth Miles, Carolina Rosario Olano, Alexandra Ann Stephens, Joseph Boykin Tiller, Christian Sawyer Watts, Kelly Marie Wilson