We would be remiss if we ended our Black History Month highlights without mentioning everyone's favorite Blue Devil: MaKayla Moody   

MaKayla may be short in stature, but she has a BIG heart.  MaKayla's positive personality brightens every day.  She has been a regular participant in the Miss Blue Devil pageant - she's certainly a perennial "Miss Congeniality!"  Makayla is also a regular in Mrs. Lee's dance classes.  As you can see from this photo from the Special Ed prom, Makayla will dance whenever she hears music!  

Although still a junior, Curtis Wilson has already taken AP Human Geography, AP Stats, AP European History, and is currently enrolled in AP US History, AP Chemistry, and AP English Language. 

He has also taken three engineering courses and an IT course at Heyward.  He has earned the IT Essentials certification.

For his academic excellence, Curtis was a South Carolina Junior Scholar and has received the College Board's new National African American Recognition Award. His name always appears on either Dreher's Principal's or A honor rolls. Of course, Curtis has been inducted into the National Honor Society.

Curtis, we look forward to your senior year.

Jasmyn Hurt is currently ranked in the top 7% of the junior class.  She has achieved this high ranking because she has challenged herself in AP Human Geography, AP World History, AP US History, AP Seminar, AP Research, AP Psychology, and AP English Language!

Jasmyn is not only talented academically, but also athletically.  She is on both the varsity volleyball and varsity soccer teams.

We look forward to another year with Jasmyn succeeding at all she does at Dreher.

Senior Ariyanna Hughes is new to Dreher this year having spent the past two years in Vincenza, Italy.  However, she has quickly immersed herself in the Dreher culture. 

For example, she will play on our softball team this spring.

Ariyanna collected for Harvest Hope this past fall as a member of the Key Club.  She has been inducted into the National Honor Society.  She is also a member of the Spanish Club and is currently enrolled in Spanish 5 Honors.

Ariyanna is in Dance 4 Honors and plays in the strings section of our orchestra.  Her name has appeared on the Principal’s Honor Roll all year. 

Benvenuta, Ariyanna, e mille grazie!

Senior Gabrielle Williams is in the National Honor Society and the Junior Classical League.  She earned a first place, Cum Laude, on the National Latin Exam.  Not surprising, since she has taken four years of Latin.

Gabby has also explored her interests in technical fields.  She has taken Intro to Engineering and Principles of Engineering, and is currently enrolled in both Aerospace Engineering and Digital Electronics.

Gabrielle has been honored by the College Board with its new National African American Recognition Award.  Her name has been on the Principal’s Honor Roll at the start of the past three school years.

Senior Rachel Langley has it all and does it all!  She is a varsity cheerleader and runs both the 800 and the 4x800 relay on our track team. 

Rachel holds several leadership roles.  She is the social media chair of the Key Club and the Vice President of the National Honor Society. Rachel has taken four years of Chinese and is the former President of the Chinese Club.  and currently serves on the Athletic Director's Student Athletic Advisory Council.

She's busy, but she does not neglect her studies. She has taken AP Seminar, AP Research, AP Psychology, and is currently enrolled in AP Chemistry and AP English Language. At the end of junior year, Rachel ranked in the top ten percent of her class.  

Benjamin Brown is today’s Black History Month honoree.  He’s in everything at Dreher- NJROTC, Key Club, FBLA, National Honor Society, and National Technical Honor Society.  Not only that, Ms. Brooks has notified him that he will be Richland One’s first “quadruple CTE completer.”

Outside of school Benjamin serves as a leader in 4-H and has his own children’s book and recycling business.

Last year Benjamin received the Martin Luther King Dream Keeper Scholarship and was a South Carolina Delegate to the Disney Dreamers Academy. This year he is a candidate for the Bank of America scholarship.

Benjamin was named to the College Board’s new National African American Recognition Program.  He will be recognized at the Urban League’s Young and Gifted Dinner.  Even the South Carolina State House of Representatives noticed him, passing a resolution honoring Benjamin for all his accomplishments.  

Isaiah Little-Davis is a senior new to Dreher this year.  However, he has already made an impression.  He is a proud youth member of New Black Wall Street and works in the community in support of black businesses and in public speaking.

Isaiah was the number two ranked runner in the 55 meter dash for 3A in his previous school.

Isaiah has made a special impression on our media staff.  Ms. Coffman reports that  Isaiah is their best customer.  He reads a book a week!

Ethan Freeman is a fine example of a student/athlete. He is one of the captains of our competitive boys' soccer team.  

Every quarter, you will see Senior Ethan Freeman's name on either the A Honor Roll or Principal's Honor Roll.  So it is no surprise that he is an inductee into the National Honor Society and a candidate for the National Technical Honor Society, having succeeded in Engineering Design, Principles of Engineering, Civil Engineering and Architecture and Aerospace Engineering. He is obviously a candidate for Project Lead the Way Completer.

Ethan will be honored by the Columbia Urban League for his academic accomplishments.

Senior Laila Brown is the youngest in a family of Blue Devils.  Her two brothers are Dreher grads. 

Laila is outstanding dancer. She has taken four years of dance at Dreher.  Laila is also an outstanding athlete and teammate.  She received recognition as an All-State Volleyball player both this year and last. 

Laila has been on the B, A, and Principal’s Honor Rolls throughout her high school career. 

Laila is one of Dreher’s participants in “Chat with the Chair” – that’s the chair of the District School Board! - and serves as an officer on the Student Athletic Advisory Leadership Board.

You will never see Laila without a smile on her face, whether in class, in the hallways, or helping out in the canteen at lunch. 

Senior Tony Baker is a varsity basketball player and a member of the 100 Black Men Club. 

Tony has been accepted to Mars Hill, Benedict, Francis Marion, and SC State, with some scholarship offers to consider when he finalizes his decision.

Tony is probably the most likable and polite student.  He is kind to everyone he meets.

He is trying to look serious in the photo above, but the smiling Tony is the real one:

Zyon Williams-Hayes had a great football season this year.  So good that he made the news as a WLTX Player of the Week in football.  Zyon has been on the B Honor Roll each year, and this past semester he is finishing strong on the A Honor Roll.

Zyon will be honored by the Columbia Urban League for his athletic talents.

This week we continue our Black History Month shout-outs to some of our talented student athletes here at Dreher.

Charles - CJ - Jeffcoat is a stand-out athlete in football and track.  He was selected to participate in the North/South All-star Football game in Myrtle Beach and he has an offer from Newberry College. 

CJ now moves on to help our Track team.  He was region champ in the shot put last spring.

CJ is a member of the 100 Black Men Club and will be honored by the Columbia Urban League for his athletic talents.

We have a fantastic visual arts program at Dreher and senior Mynala Patterson has taken advantage of every art class offered since she was a freshman. 

Mynala has been enrolled in Art 1, Art 2, Art 3 Honors, photography, and ceramics.  Not only that, she ventured in Introduction to Engineering Design last year.  She is now enrolled in Ms. Gorlewski's AP Art 2-D Design.   

Mynala is such a talented artist, and you'll be able to enjoy her work at the not-to-be-missed AP Art Show coming up in April.