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Meet a Govie

"After my first test … I felt a certain sensation that THAT kind of work was what I came to GSSM for!"

Dominic Errazo knows that at times he can be a bit dramatic. A budding thespian, Errazo could often be found on the stage or rehearsing with the drama club at his high school in Goose Creek before coming to the Governor's School.

Although he said he flourished artistically at his home high school, Errazo admitted he found his course load too easy, leaving him with little schoolwork to engage him.

"I did my best to challenge myself with what high-level classes were available to me," he said.

But it wasn't enough.

So when he and his parents attended an information session about GSSM, they were convinced it had the curriculum and the supportive atmosphere Errazo needed to excel academically. Soon after moving to GSSM's Hartsville campus, he was convinced.

"I remember that after my first test … I felt a certain sensation that THAT kind of work was what I came to GSSM for," he said.

Since that first test in the 2008-09 school year, Errazo has gone on to earn a number of honors, including being named a Furman Scholar, a distinction that comes with scholarship money to the private university, and winning a Rochester Institute of Technology Computing Medal, another college scholarship opportunity.

Despite his plans to become a computer programmer, Errazo hasn't turned his back on his penchant for performing. He brought with him to GSSM the posters of his past Drama Club productions as a reminder of the first real "family" of friends he had in high school.

During the academic year he can be found participating in Open Mic shows on-and-off campus and taking an enthusiastically active role in GSSM's own drama troupe.

"Coming to GSSM, I feel that my growth as a person has been very much stimulated."

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"The teachers are great. You can go talk to and get help from them whenever, sometimes even as late as 8 o'clock at night!"

For Cassidy Jenks, studying for a class at GSSM has been a welcome change of pace after years of earning straight A's with little effort.

Although at times he finds himself challenged by a GSSM instructor's pace or the level of difficulty, Jenks said having access to teachers with a master grasp of the subject matter is encouraging.

"The teachers are great," he said. "You can go talk to and get help from them whenever, sometimes even as late as 8 o'clock at night."

At his home high school in Easley, Jenks said he never studied, with the exception of his chemistry and pre-calculus courses. He credits the relatively little study time done for those two courses to exceptionally good teachers who pushed and challenged him. Even then, Jenks said he sought a more consistently rigorous course load.

Since attending GSSM, Jenks said he's joined a group of students who've raised the bar on what an "average" student can accomplish, creating an atmosphere where students strive for their best and are rewarded and encouraged by each other and the faculty and staff.

"The largest attraction was the escape from mediocre, run-of-the-mill, don't-learn-much, education," he said. "I wanted a place where I could be challenged and focus was put on the kids who cared."