Destination: Upstate (SC) seeks to be a leadership program for college seniors that will be the catalyst for economic and social change in order to ultimately increase the region’s population percentage with Bachelor’s degrees and help college students assimilate into the region after graduating by connecting with civic organizations for community involvement opportunities as well as with top-level business executives for job opportunities.
Did you know that every county in the 10-county Upstate SC region except for Greenville County is below the national U.S. Census average in terms of the population of residents with Bachelor’s degrees or higher? Did you know that the counties of Charlotte, NC (Mecklenburg County) and Atlanta, GA (Fulton County), the closest big cities to the Upstate SC region, are at least 13% above the national U.S. Census average in terms of the population of residents with Bachelor’s degrees or higher?
Why is the Upstate SC region below the national U.S. Census average? I believe that it is a combination of things: manufacturing jobs being brought to the region that do not excite the college student population, the scarcity of non-manufacturing jobs that are exciting enough for the college student population;, jobs that pay well enough to entice college students to stay in the region, and the scarcity of professional advancement and civic organization opportunities for the college student population.
I seek to utilize my connections in the higher education sector, with top-level decision makers from our most notable companies, and from my community involvement opportunities in order to establish the leadership program.
Over time, I will post program development updates on my website.
