Impact Spotlight

Our TFASC Teachers and Alumni Catalysts for Educational Equity and Systems Change The earth constantly changes. Tectonic activity shifts continents and shakes the foundations of cities. The education system in South Carolina sees its foundations shifting too. The pandemic. The Great Resignation. Politics. Demographics. Racial equity. By transforming student outcomes and improving communities with intentionality, … Read more

Darla Moore Founder, The Darla Moore Foundation Teach For America South Carolina (TFASC) can largely credit Darla Moore’s embracing vision of high-quality education for its very existence. After decades in the financial industry, Moore, a renowned business leader who was born in Lake City, S.C., turned her attention to giving back to her beloved state, … Read more

Tommy Preston Jr. Vice President of Ethics, The Boeing Company Tommy Preston’s family had lived in his hometown of Clemson, South Carolina for generations. As a child, he recalls sitting with his grandfather on a porch one afternoon. His granddad pointed toward Clemson University, just five minutes distant. “Because of the conditions during my youth, … Read more

Kimberly Sutton Mason Principal, Rosenwald Elementary and Middle School “When I found Teach For America South Carolina (TFASC), it was like I found a family. I love this organization,” said Kimberly Sutton Mason, principal of Rosenwald Elementary and Middle School (REMS). She has championed Teach For America since it came to South Carolina. Mason has … Read more

Debra Sonkin Founder, Search Advisory Group In 2011, during its founding year in the region, Teach For America South Carolina (TFASC) started partnering with school districts but had not yet recruited a board of directors. The long-time strategy of Teach For America (TFA)’s national leadership team was to encourage its regions to recruit industry leaders … Read more

Hayward Jean Director of Student Services, Orangeburg County School District “Teaching is one of the most important professions,” said Hayward Jean. “It’s so much more than a job. A teacher is literally building another human being.” There’s a lot of building on Jean’s watch. The Orangeburg County School District, where he is director of student … Read more

Susie Shannon President and CEO, South Carolina Council on Competitiveness Susie Shannon grew up on a dirt road in rural South Carolina. For her economically-challenged family, day-to-day necessities had to take priority over education. Still, she could see a road ahead. “For me, it’s just as they say: The way out of poverty ran right … Read more

Josh Bell Teach For America Charlotte-Piedmont Triad 2008 Executive Director, Beemok Family Foundation In 2011, Josh Bell, an alumnus of Teach For America and former student body president at Clemson University, became the first executive director of Teach For America South Carolina (TFASC). Hard work lay ahead in every direction. Bell didn’t blink. “Working hard … Read more

William Brown Founder and Board Chair, Legacy Early College “As a system, we don’t tend to educate children in poverty. By the time they get to high school, we ask, ‘Why can’t these kids read?’ We have failed our kids earlier in their lives,” said William Brown, a widely known and respected CPA and investment … Read more

Darrin Goss Sr. President and CEO, Coastal Community Foundation Ordained minister Darrin Goss Sr. has pastored three churches. As president and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Coastal Community Foundation (CCF), he can also be considered an evangelist for high-quality education. CCF manages endowment funds used to address community needs in nine counties along South … Read more