Martha Messick has been named the principal of the new Aiken Scholars Academy, which will open at USC Aiken next fall to Aiken County Public School District students.
Messick has been an assistant principal at South Aiken High School since 2009. Aiken County School Board members approved her appointment Tuesday at their regular meeting.
“As a graduate of both Aiken County Public Schools and USC Aiken, I am beyond thrilled to serve as principal of the new Aiken Scholars Academy,” Messick said in a news release from the school district. “I am truly blessed to be part of such an amazing community and school district that continues to expand opportunities for all students.
“The partnership between Aiken County Public Schools and USC Aiken will provide a springboard to the best and brightest students in the county as they prepare for their future and as we all move forward together on the path to excellence.”
At South Aiken High, Messick coordinated implementation of the school’s Advanced Placement academy curriculum and its partnership with the National Math + Science Initiative (NMSI), which led to increased student participation in AP coursework and record numbers of qualifying scores on Advanced Placement assessments, according to the release.
“Mrs. Messick has provided superior leadership and displayed a dedicated work ethic while at South Aiken High School, and we are thrilled to know she will be on campus at USC Aiken next fall to greet the very first students of the Aiken Scholars Academy,” District Superintendent Dr. Sean Alford said.
Before becoming an assistant principal, Messick was a classroom teacher at South Aiken High with administrative duties. She also was a consultant with the S.C. State Department of Education program “Making Middle Grades Work and High Schools That Work,” and a classroom teacher at White Knoll High School in Lexington County.
Messick holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in secondary education from USCA, a Master of Education degree in educational administration from the University of South Carolina and an Educational Specialist degree in educational leadership from Georgia Regents University.
She also maintains state professional certifications in career areas, including superintendent, secondary principal, secondary supervisor, gifted and talented endorsement, literacy endorsement and social studies.
When the Aiken Scholars Academy opens next year, it will offer Aiken County students “unique and challenging opportunities within an elite academic experience on the campus of USCA,” according to the release.
The academy is a partnership between USCA and the Aiken County Public School District to create an academic school of excellence. The academy will offer "advanced students an engaging and rewarding educational experience that will introduce and then immerse them into the collegiate environment," according to the release.
Aiken County students accepted into the Aiken Scholars Academy “immediately will be among the best and brightest in South Carolina and will receive unrivaled secondary instruction from a talented faculty dedicated to the personal growth and acceleration of each student,” according to the release. Parents of Aiken Scholars Academy prospects also can expect a rigorous curriculum capable of stretching their students academically in new and exciting ways.
“The Aiken Scholars Academy will provide Aiken County’s top-performing students with an elite secondary experience that will be unrivaled in our state,” Alford said. “We look forward to raising the bar academically while challenging these students to excel among their peers.”
Prospective students for the Aiken Scholars Academy must have successfully completed algebra I, geometry, English I and world language I before the ninth grade. Preferred coursework includes physical education and health; computer science; and pre-writing, an iNFUSION Summer Experience program the district offers.
Student applications for the Aiken Scholars Academy are available and will be accepted through Jan. 19, 2018. For more information or to complete an application, visit www.acpsd.net/AikenScholarsAcademy.
