Summerville Native Awarded the Ron McNair Leadership Award at the 25th Anniversary of South Carolina Business Week
July 23, 2008
COLUMBIA, SC — July 22, 2008 – The South Carolina Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that Paige Sharky, a rising senior at Pinewood Preparatory School, has been named winner of the 2008 Ron McNair Leadership Award, presented at the conclusion of South Carolina Business Week on July 18 at Presbyterian College. The $3,000 scholarship, contributed by the SCANA Corporation, may be used at the South Carolina college or university of Sharky’s choice.
Established in memory of Lake City native and astronaut Ron McNair, the Ron McNair Leadership Award recognizes a Business Week student who consistently demonstrates exceptional leadership abilities.
“In the working world, success follows initiative and experience. Gaining skills from South Carolina Business Week will benefit me not only in college, but also in my entire future business career,” said Sharky. “Also, I plan to share my personal experiences from Business Week in school organizations such as Student Government, the Interact Club, and the Honor Council in order to create success.”
The annual South Carolina Business Week program teaches principles of the American free enterprise system through collegiate-caliber classes, computer simulation, and other engaging activities. Close to 200 high-school students from across the state attended the program, which is celebrating its 25th year.
The 2008 South Carolina Business Week was presented by the South Carolina Cable Television Association and sponsored by the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with the SC Association of School Administrators, SC Department of Education, SC Council on Economic Education, and the SC Manufacturing Extension Partnership.
The South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, the nation’s first state chamber Accredited with Distinction by the U.S. Chamber, is the state’s largest statewide broad-based business and industry trade association representing more than 6,500 member companies and more than 600,000 member employees, with 90 percent of membership comprised of small businesses. As the unified voice for business and industry, the Chamber is a catalyst for increasing per capita income and enhancing the state’s global competitiveness in order to improve the quality of life for all South Carolinians.
