Stratford High teachers Connie Moak, April Hunt, Melissa Rooney and Brandy Brown recently achieved national recognition for their work as National Beta sponsors after being named 2022-2023 John W. Harris Educators of Excellence.
The award is the highest honor offered to National Beta sponsors. Teachers from both Stratford High and Cane Bay High made this year’s list of recipients; these are two out of six schools in the entire state with teachers who were recognized for the 2022-2023 school year. Read full story.
National Beta has become the nation’s largest independent, non-profit, educational youth organization. National Beta recognizes outstanding achievement, promotes character and social responsibility, encourages service involvement to school and community, and fosters leadership skills.
Hunt said she and her fellow sponsors are excited to receive this recognition.
"We are honored to be recognized among so many schools and sponsors across the country," she said. "It speaks volumes to our students’ dedication to leadership and service in our community.”
With the school's Beta chapter turning 40 years old this year, Moak said now is a great time to reflect on how the group has encouraged students to cultivate achievement, character, leadership and service in their lives.
"I love running into former Betas and marveling at what they have achieved as adults," she said. "It makes me so proud to carry on this tradition of service."
Beta students had a very active 2022-2023 school year.
Students volunteered within the community in a number of ways: they provided assistance with the Goose Creek Recreational Center for its Fall Festival and Easter Egg Hunt. The students also provided buddies for Summerville Miracle League games during the fall and spring seasons, raised money for Red Nose Day, and did a holiday supply drive for Berkeley Animal Shelter and wrapped the toys for all the new adopted and fostered pets. They held a supply drive for Lowcountry Period Pixies and packed 325 school and community packs of feminine hygiene supplies, and volunteered at various events on the Stratford campus.
Since Stratford’s Beta Club members average 50 to 75 service hours each, National Beta designated Stratford High as a 2023 All Star School, and each member received a special pin. The school was also named a School of Merit and a School of Distinction for the 2022-2023 school year.
Members placed in nine categories at the South Carolina Beta Convention: first in musicology; first in French (10th grade); second in Math (ninth grade); second in painting (Division I); second in Service Learning Showcase; third in Freshman Problem Solving; third in Marketing & Communications; and third in Poetry (Division II). The group also received the Gold Key Award.
Members went on to place in three categories in the National Beta Convention in Louisville, Kentucky: third in French (10th grade); third in Science (11th grade); and first in Poetry (Division II).
Stratford High Principal Jayma Diaz expressed her enthusiasm over her teachers' recognition.
"They are an inspiration to us all at Stratford and we are very proud of their accomplishments," she said.
