Chapman High School submitted an application for Palmetto’s Finest last year and received a visit in the first week of November.  

Palmetto’s Finest is a prestigious award for high schools in South Carolina and while receiving one visit is a great achievement in itself, being named a finalist is an even more incredible honor.

Yesterday, Principal Ty Dawkins received the word that Chapman was named as a finalist for Palmetto’s Finest.

“My first reaction is that I was pumped,” Dawkins said. “I could not wait to share the news with everyone.”

While winning is the ultimate goal, reaching this point is a huge deal for the students, faculty and staff here at Chapman.

“Being a finalist is helping to confirm what we already know, that we’re doing an awesome job here at Chapman High School,” Dawkins said, “that we’re working hard, not just the teachers and students, but the entire community.”

Assistant Principal Andrew McMillan agrees that becoming a finalist brings joy to everyone here at Chapman.

“It feels good,” McMillan said. “It feels good for our staff, for our administration and students to know that we are named a finalist based off people who came to our school and sat and visited during a normal school day. That speaks volumes to what we’re trying to do here.”

The finalists are chosen from several schools across all of South Carolina based off of Palmetto’s Finest representatives’ reviews of their visits to the various schools.

“I hope everyone knows this is the award in South Carolina, and to be named a finalist is huge,” Dawkins said. “There are so many other schools and not everyone is a finalist, but I can’t wait to see who the other finalists are.”

However, winning isn’t everything for the people of Inman and Chapman.

“We’re not in this business for awards. We’re not in this business for recognition. We’re in this business to help kids prepare to go out into the real world,” McMillan said. “However, when you have something this major happen, it speaks volumes to what we’re trying to do here. At the end of the day whether we win or lose, we’re finalists and it just gives a lot of justification to everything we’re trying to do here at Chapman.”

Dawkins agrees, stating that Chapman is a winner whether the award reflects that or not.

“There’s no doubt that Chapman is a winner always in my heart,” Dawkins said.

The second visit will take place between now and March 20, with representatives coming to decide if Chapman is Palmetto’s finest school.