<b>SC college students&nbsp;</b><b>given tourism awards</b>

[caption id="attachment_33985" align="aligncenter" width="517"]<a href="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/tourism.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-33985"><img class="size-full wp-image-33985" src="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/tourism.jpg" alt="Pictured left to right are Angela Puleo, USCB; Alison Ann Lindsey, USC; Alison Phelps, Spartanburg Community College; Christopher King, Horry-Georgetown Tech; Duane Parrish, SCPRT director; Sonja Volk, Greenville Tech; Grayson Foster, Trident Tech; Hunter Gaffney, College of Charleston; Kari Mari Funk, Coastal Carolina; and Ollie Burns, Clemson." width="517" height="276"></a> Pictured left to right are Angela Puleo, USCB; Alison Ann Lindsey, USC; Alison Phelps, Spartanburg Community College; Christopher King, Horry-Georgetown Tech; Duane Parrish, SCPRT director; Sonja Volk, Greenville Tech; Grayson Foster, Trident Tech; Hunter Gaffney, College of Charleston; Kari Mari Funk, Coastal Carolina; and Ollie Burns, Clemson.[/caption]

Nine South Carolina college students from hospitality-related programs were given Tourism Student Awards recently during a ceremony at the Lace House in Columbia.&nbsp;

The students were recognized for outstanding academic achievement related to hospitality and tourism in South Carolina, including culinary studies.

One of those students was Angela Puleo, who is majoring in Hospitality Management at the University of South Carolina Beaufort. She received a plaque and a $1,500 scholarship.

Sponsored by the South Carolina Travel and Tourism Coalition, the Tourism Student Awards recognizes students who were recommended by faculty for exemplary work.&nbsp; Scholarships are provided through the Fred Brinkman Memorial Fund, which is funded through a silent auction held annually at the Governor’s Conference on Tourism &amp; Travel.

<b>Colleges make sales pitches to more than 2,500 students</b>

More than 70 colleges and universities made sales pitches to Beaufort County public and private high school juniors and seniors on Nov. 3 at a college fair that was expected to draw more than 2,500 students to the University of South Carolina Beaufort.

Schools advertising their programs to students ranged from small private colleges to large public universities. &nbsp;

Local schools included the University of South Carolina Beaufort and the Technical College of the Lowcountry, while out-of-state schools included universities such as Florida State, Virginia Tech, Alabama, Kent State and Marshall.

Students visited booths staffed by college and university representatives who answered students’ questions about academic offerings, tuition costs and scholarship opportunities.

Beaufort County Schools Superintendent Jeff Moss said that the college fair’s goal is to focus students on preparing for new goals.

“Our school counselors emphasize to students that the best careers out there are going to require more education beyond high school,” Moss said. “The annual college fair is part of that emphasis. Our students get to sample more than 70 college and university programs in one place, and they also get a kick out of all of those schools competing for their attention.”

<b>‘Our Schools’ TV show&nbsp;</b><b>highlights finance, facilities</b>

The Beaufort County School District’s Finance and Operations division and its facilities office are the focus of the latest “Our Schools” television program, which began airing on Nov. 3 on the County Channel.

Appearing with Superintendent Jeff Moss is Tonya Crosby, chief finance and operations officer; Larry Wilson, district manager for Sodexo, which provides food services at district schools; Mark Chauhan, Technology Services officer; Robert Oetting, Facilities, Planning and Construction officer; Carol Crutchfield, planning coordinator; and Mona Lise Dickson, principal of Whale Branch Early College High School.

“Our Schools” is a partnership between the school district and the County Channel.

“Our Schools” will air four times weekly: at 11:30 a.m. Mondays; 9 p.m. Tuesdays; 8:30 p.m. Thursdays; and 12:30 p.m. Saturdays. &nbsp;

The broadcast airs on local cable networks: Comcast’s Channel 2, Hargray’s channels 9 and 113, and Spectrum Channel 63.&nbsp; The show also will air at those times on the County Channel’s website www.bcgov.net/departments/community-services/county-channel/index.php

In addition, the show will be archived and can be watched any time at the same link.