GREENVILLE COUNTY, SC (FOX Carolina) – Thanks to an inspiring program that gives students a boost in education, an upstate school district has a new way to encourage high school students to become educators.

“I think if you know you need to be in a position where you like people, then education might be the career path for you,” said Riverside High School senior Liz Alverson.

Alverson always knew she wanted to work with children, but she had no interest in teaching.

“I was perhaps going to go into child psychology. I was just more focused on loving children than on education,” she explained.

That all changed when Alverson joined the Future Teacher Academy (FTA).

“I was able to debunk the myth that being a teacher is just about teaching the curriculum. (It’s also) being a lifeline for students in the classroom, (which) is really important,” she said.

Alverson became passionate about teaching through Greenville Co. Schools FTA Specialist Rachel Turner.

“There is such a shortage of teachers in the community right now, and that’s why we want to expand our own,” Turner said.

That’s why Turner developed a program that puts Greenville Co. students on the fast track to becoming educators.

“A lot of times when you get to college, you don’t get that classroom experience until your first year of college; and if you don’t like it, it’s too late to change your major,” Turner explained.

The program includes field placements in local schools, mentoring opportunities with district officials, and group projects with peers.

Prospective Teacher Academy students can earn 12 hours of college credit and 120 hours of teaching experience. If planning to attend Clemson, students can enroll in “Expressway to Tiger Town,” which guarantees automatic admission to the College of Education. Students can then complete their bachelor’s degree in three years. They also receive a guaranteed interview with Greenville County Schools.

“That’s how much we want them to come back and teach with us,” Turner said.

Students say the program is a good fit for them, even if you don’t want to become a teacher.

“So since I want to become a pediatrician, I have to work with children,” said FTA student Haasini Mavuri. “So giving them the feeling of being in a safe, calm environment, like a teacher does, I think those things go hand in hand.”

To learn more about the Future Teacher Academy, Click here. To know more about the highway to Tiger Town, Click here.

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