Berkeley Middle College is truly a one-of-a-kind program in Berkeley County.

The school presents challenging courses that maybe not every high school student would be up for, but it is an option that gets them ahead for college or wherever their careers may take them.

Berkeley Middle College was recently ranked in the state’s top 10 most competitive high schools, according to data recently put out by the South Carolina Department of Education. While receiving that ranking is a big testament to Berkeley Middle College, Principal Dawn Smith said it is further testament to Berkeley County as a whole.

“These are Berkeley’s finest, and for us to get that recognition is a testament to all the hard work our teachers and administrators have done in this district,” Smith said.

Smith is joined by a group of current students who can attest to how BMC is preparing them for bigger and better things once they leave high school.

The beginning

Berkeley Middle College was established in 2010 with Claire Freeman being named the first principal. Freeman and other district administration led the efforts to partner with Trident Technical College and create a school that would provide college-level education to primarily serve students who may be first-generation college students, and students who might not otherwise have the opportunity to go to college. Smith is now in her fifth year as the school’s principal.

BMC is open to all rising 11^thgraders in Berkeley County, including those who are homeschooled or attend private schools. The BMC experience is designed for students who want to get a head start on their college careers and for those who may not have performed to their full potential in a traditional high school setting. Students take dual credit classes at Trident Technical College’s Berkeley campus to earn both high school and college credit while completing their high school career.

Students, on average, graduate with 27 college credit hours by the time they receive their high school diplomas (total credits can range from 20 to even 50 hours of college credit). By the end of their high school experience, these students are typically a year or more ahead of their peers academically. The students can earn their Associate’s Degree if they so choose before they graduate – these students need 60 hours of college credit, which is equivalent to about 18 to 20 college courses within two years, and students take summer courses in order to accomplish this.

“That’s within two years…that, on top of high school requirements, is very rigorous for students,” Smith said.

The End of Course Examination Program (or EOCEP), published by South Carolina’s Department of Education, reports standardized test scores for the state in several subjects at the end of the semester. This data includes four courses – English 2, Algebra 1, Biology 1 and History and the Constitution. BMC was recently ranked number nine in public high schools in the state that reported the most students meeting or exceeding standards in those subjects.

BMC also placed fourth in the state for public high schools with the highest percentage of students prepared for college, based off SAT scores.

Smith attributes BMC’s rankings to its ability to build relationships and stay focused on setting students up for success.

“It’s truly a privilege to be here and be able to see this type of student every day that’s so motivated and ready to learn and overcome obstacles that are presented in their way,” she said.

Smith described BMC as a small family, with about 115 students currently enrolled, so everybody pretty much knows everybody.

“I love it here,” she said, adding, “I meet with my students quarterly. I know every student by name. I know every student’s ambition – whether they want to go into the military, a four-year school, a two-year school or even if they just want to go into the workplace.”

Students apply to be a part of BMC. Smith said BMC looks for highly-motivated students who are enthusiastic about learning and dedicated to their academics. The school accepts roughly 50 students per year for the junior class.

On average, about 20-30 percent of students will earn an Associate’s Degree, plus another 10-15 percent will earn a certificate in something like welding, cosmetology, pre-nursing or culinary arts. BMC has even had situations where students graduated with both an Associate’s Degree in Science along with a pre-nursing certificate.

“That’s a very rigorous course load, but it is possible, and for a highly-motivated student, they’ve been able to accomplish that,” Smith said.

Making choices

Because of the work load, students might miss out on typical high school activities like sporting events, pep rallies and clubs. However, students in good academic standing may participate in athletic activities or extra-curricular activities at their zoned high school as long as they are able to attend meetings/practices on time.

Students accepted into the Middle College must also be prepared to provide their own transportation to the Berkeley Campus of Trident Technical College, located at 1001 South Live Oak Drive (Hwy 17A) in Moncks Corner, where BMC’s classes are held.

“For any families who are considering Berkeley Middle College, I would look at what the end goal is, what the benefits are…but then also consider some of the sacrifices that you’re going to have to make,” Smith said. “For students who choose to come here, that are invested in the school and invested in their education, they find that it greatly pays off in the end because, they may leave with one to two years’ worth of college courses and go onto a four-year university where they’re considered a sophomore or junior already.”

Mark Haught teaches physics and chemistry at BMC. He is in his second year with the program, but he is also a former BMC parent. He already knew the benefits of the school before joining.

“I know what it does for them (students),” he said, detailing that his son found confidence and independence in participating in the program and his daughter was a very driven athlete who was committed to her coursework. “We set them up for success no matter what. It’s a great school.”

The environment, he said, is a huge contributing factor to the students’ success. The classes are smaller, so not only do the students get to know each other very well, but they also get to know their teachers very well.

“I can’t emphasize how different it is here, to teach and to go to school,” Haught said, adding the students have a certain maturity about them that helps them in the long run. “We’re looking for good kids who want to improve themselves – and when they come here, they do.

“When they walk in my door in physics and chemistry, I treat them like adults,” Haught added.

Haught would recommend the program to a student who is internally motivated – “because it’s hard.”

“When you weigh the demands with the freedoms, this is a hard school,” he said. "I want people to understand that this is a great school and a great opportunity.”

A faster pace

Like Smith and Haught said, the typical course load for an incoming junior is pretty difficult.

Traditional high schools tend to separate content in the first and second semesters – for example, a student might take math and science in the first semester and then social studies and English the following semester. BMC does not do that because the students are trying to move at a faster pace.

Tori McCay, Blake Ransom and Cecelia Kolodziej are all current BMC juniors. They are enrolled in a class called IDS 109, which is like an introduction to college classes, along with pre-calculus, physics and U.S. history.

The students can attest to the difficulty of BMC’s classes.

McCay came to BMC from Berkeley High, where she still plays a sport. McCay learned about BMC from her former guidance counselors, but got more interested in the program after hearing a BMC student talk about how much they enjoyed it.

“When I got here, I really liked it,” she said. “I thought it would be a good opportunity, a little more challenging…it’s too good of an opportunity to pass up.”

McCay is planning on graduating with an Associate’s Degree in Science and then studying pre-med at the University of North Carolina and possibly pursuing a career as an oncologist.

“To already have two years of college done…it’s really crazy to think about,” she said. “It’s a good opportunity, and I think more people should think about doing it, for sure.”

Blake Ransom is also zoned for Berkeley High. He learned about BMC through friends, and when he researched the program himself he was taken with the opportunity to get ahead for college. He is planning to graduate with an Associate’s Degree in Arts, and then wants to go to a four-year school and seek a career as a sound designer or producer.

Ransom said he is grateful that such a program exists in Berkeley County.

“This is about moving at a faster pace…and getting your stuff done so you can move forward,” he said.

Ransom spoke highly of Smith, saying that not only do students get to connect more with their teachers, but to their principal as well.

“She has this fun, charismatic personality – she’s very energetic and always excited to be here at school,” Ransom said.

Kolodziej originally went to Northwoods Academy. She had a sister who previously went through BMC’s program and got her pre-nursing certificate, which Kolodziej is also trying to achieve – ideally, she wants an Associate’s Degree and a pre-nursing certificate together. Kolodziej wants to go to Clemson University to continue the medical track.

She feels like the students have a lot of freedom at the school; most days she arrives at about 9 a.m. and is on campus until about 3 p.m. – the exception is on Mondays she gets there a little earlier because that is when her IDS class takes place. She also describes the work load as "no joke."

Kolodziej said she was really excited when she found out she made it into BMC, describing it as “the best feeling in the world.”

“I really was scared that I wasn’t going to because I know it’s really competitive,” she said, adding, “I really just tried my hardest.”

Kolodziej is so far enjoying her first semester and meeting her peers.

“They’re really nice and welcoming…the classes are really good – you get a lot out of it,” she said.

Senior year

Donnell Bobo and Georgia Harris are two BMC seniors who are almost ready to graduate, and both of them can confirm that finding ways to manage their time has helped make their experience at BMC a positive one.

Bobo is zoned for Stratford High, where he still wrestles and plays football.

At the end of his 10^th grade year, Bobo’s guidance counselor recommended he apply for BMC, and the idea of getting ahead in college appealed to him.

Bobo recalled junior year being very challenging, but he enjoyed the smaller classes, saying it made it easier for him to learn. The biggest thing he learned junior year was how to manage his time; being a part of sports meant being okay with juggling both responsibilities.

“My biggest takeaway from Berkeley Middle College is, even though it gets hard, you can still have free time and balance everything if you get your time management right and put college first,” he said.

Right now, Bobo has class on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 8 a.m. to noon, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays he does not have school at all, but he has football practice most days.

He opted not to pursue an Associate’s Degree and instead plans to enter the University of South Carolina as an academic sophomore. He wants to join the National Guard, and UofSC has a program attached to the National Guard that Bobo wants to pursue. He also plans on studying business management and administration and wants to eventually become a corporate lawyer.

Bobo’s advice to potential BMC students: “Make sure you want to do it and your parents are not making you do it – because it shows.”

Harris attended Philip Simmons High freshman year and then Palmetto Scholars Academy for her sophomore year. She became interested in BMC when she wanted to take more advanced classes, and BMC gave her the option to take many dual-enrollment courses. Harris’s older sister also previously went through BMC’s program.

“I feel like BMC has prepared me very well to handle anything that comes for you down the (college) path,” she said.

Harris listed the flexible schedule as being one of the perks to being a part of BMC. She regularly volunteers with Amor Healing Kitchen, a group of teenagers who make plant-based meals for chronically-ill residents. Harris is currently taking creative writing and public speaking at BMC on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and she does volunteer work from noon until 7 p.m. on Thursdays – something she would not have been able to do if she was not able to build her schedule.

She plans on graduating with her Associate’s Degree in Arts, and then she wants to go to a four-year university and pursue the medical track.

Harris said BMC is not a typical high school experience – and applicants have to be okay with making that sacrifice (or finding other ways to stay connected to their zoned high school, like Bobo did with his athletics).

“If you want to change, BMC is your answer,” she said.

Berkeley Middle College High

Students share unique experience at BMC