Garrett Campbell has wanted to become a teacher ever since he attended the funeral of his high school basketball coach. “That man was beloved because he touched so many lives. I wanted to make a difference, too, and teaching seemed to be a way I could do that.”

Because he was an outstanding student and wanted to teach in S.C. public schools, he received a Teaching Fellows Program scholarship. Calculus came easily to him, so he chose to major in math and secondary education cognate.

And then, the College’s basketball coaches discovered that Garrett had game. After watching him play pick-up one day, they invited him to try out for the team and he became a walk-on.

”Being around the coaches has sparked my interest in coaching,” he says, “and also made me realize that there is a lot of science to coaching. The experience is helping me shape my future.”

Ultimately, Garrett wants to teach ninth and tenth graders. “At that age, the kids are enthusiastic,” and they are learning algebra and geometry – the parts of math that he enjoys most. His plans for the future include application to graduate school and perhaps a graduate assistantship with a basketball team. And more opportunities for self-discovery.