Twenty-six Georgetown County high school graduates recently completed Coastal Carolina University's 2001 College Jumpstart program. Twenty-five of the students have been accepted by a college or university while one student plans to enter the military.

The following students completed the program: (Andrews High School) Juanita Alford, Aisha Anderson, Patrice Cumbee, Johneita Flagler, Jerrawi Gowdy, Aja Grant, Shauntella Grant, Lauren Knowlin, Tammy Nelson, Latoya Reed and Destinye Sanders; (Carvers Bay High School) Kelveina Davis, Kiamesha Myers, Richlyn Neal, Deshantell Singleton, Sharee Wright and Taree Wright; (Georgetown High School) Christopher Bradshaw, Rita Cordell, Melissa Jordan, Jessica Knox, Kristina Love, Tiffany Moore and Sucesse Shackleford; (Waccamaw High School) Kristina Patterson and Samantha Todd.

A total of $22,300 has been awarded in scholarships, stipends and support services. Fourteen of the students have been awarded scholarship funds through the program ranging from $500 to $1,000. The funds were provided by the Coastal Carolina University Georgetown Campus Advisory Committee and Georgetown County Council. Eleven students were awarded stipends provided by the Workforce Investment Act of Waccamaw Regional Planning Commission in the amount of $1,118 to assist with college expenses.

In its seventh year, College Jumpstart is a six-week non-credit program designed to assist high school graduates with academics. Participating students took English 100, Math 100 and College Survival Skills, a course designed to assist students with goal setting, test taking, time management and study skills. Twenty-two of the students worked part-time for Georgetown County.

The Jumpstart program was led by Sharon Hughes, director of Coastal's Georgetown campus. Instructors for the program were Coastal faculty members Joanne Duvall (math), Ron Mitchell (college survival skills) and Sally Purcell (English).

College Jumpstart is funded by a grant from the Workforce Investment Act of Waccamaw Regional Planning Commission; support from Santee Cooper, International Paper, Low Country Forest Products; and an allocation from Georgetown County Council to the Coastal Carolina University Georgetown Campus Advisory Committee.