CLEMSON — Forty-one high school juniors and seniors took a break from their summer vacations to prepare for their futures at the South Carolina Commissioner’s School for Agriculture (SCCSA).

Students from South Carolina, Texas, New York, Ohio, Virginia and North Carolina attended the summer academic program July 18-24 at Clemson University.

The SCCSA is a premier summer program that exposes students to college majors and potential careers in agriculture and natural resources. Throughout the week, students took part in academic projects, field tours and laboratory exercises, all while gaining skills in leadership and professional development.

South Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture Hugh Weathers said, “In order to maintain agriculture and forestry as the combined No. 1 industry in our state, it is critical to develop the next generation of agricultural leaders. Having operated SCCSA for 12 years, we have found that this program is a great way to inspire college-bound students to choose careers in agriculture that will grow the industry and meet the needs of the future.”

The program was started in 2004 by Clemson University Director of Cooperative Extension Tom Dobbins. More than 425 students have graduated. The South Carolina Commissioner’s School for Agriculture is a partnership between the South Carolina Department of Agriculture (SCDA) and Clemson University’s College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences.

“I am thankful to Commissioner Weathers for supporting the SCCSA for all these years. The school is an integral part of Clemson’s commitment to producing the next generation of leaders in South Carolina’s number one industry of agribusiness. It’s always exciting to see another accomplished group of young people experience the array of career and educational opportunities in agriculture, natural resources and life sciences,” said Dobbins.

Each year, an elite group of participants is selected to receive the Dobbins Founder Award based on their involvement, character and enthusiasm throughout the week. Joey McCannon of Pendleton was one of the recipients of the 2015 award.

Local participants include Maggie Barnett of Pendleton, Antoine Hernandez of Pendleton, Joey McCannon of Pendleton, Jacob Moreland of Central and Chandani Patel of Seneca.

Applications for the 2016 Commissioner’s School will be available in January. For more information, contact Clemson’s Katie Black at hulse@clemson.edu.

Students visited Clemson teaching and research facilities such as the Musser Fruit Research Center as part of the South Carolina Commissioner’s School for Agriculture.
http://pickenssentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_cuagrileaders01.jpgStudents visited Clemson teaching and research facilities such as the Musser Fruit Research Center as part of the South Carolina Commissioner’s School for Agriculture. Photos courtesy of Clemson University

Students learned about fresh water ecology during the South Carolina Commissioner’s School for Agriculture, held in July.
http://pickenssentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_cuagrileaders02.jpgStudents learned about fresh water ecology during the South Carolina Commissioner’s School for Agriculture, held in July. Photos courtesy of Clemson University

This release provided by Clemson University.