MEDIA ADVISORY

Aiken, SC (11/19/2020) — The University of South Carolina Aiken (UofSC Aiken) invites media representatives cover the following activities on Friday, Nov. 20:

• The UofSC Aiken School of Education will regonize its graduates during a pinning ceremony on Friday, Nov. 20, at 9 a.m., in the Business and Education Building room 122
• The UofSC Aiken School of Nursing will recognize its graduates during a pinning ceremony on Friday, Nov. 20, at 10 a.m., in the Student Activities Center.
• The UofSC Aiken will hold its fall graduation ceremony on Friday, Nov. 20, at 6 p.m., at the Aiken High School football field.

The speaker for the ceremony is Dr. Jason Holt. Holt completed his doctoral studies in educational innovation at Augusta University after earning an educational specialist degree in educational leadership at Georgia Regents University. He also earned a Master of Arts degree in Educational Administration from the University of South Carolina and a Bachelor of Arts degree in secondary education from UofSC Aiken.

During his 15 years as an educator, Holt, 36, taught at Jackson Middle School and South Aiken High before becoming an assistant principal at South Aiken. Later he served as the principal at Paul Knox, which became a science-themed school under his leadership. Holt was also the principal at Jackson STEM Middle, helping the school transition from a traditional middle school to a nationally STEM-accredited school.

In 2019 Holt became Aiken High's principal. There he will oversee the Cambridge International program, an inclusive program that allows students to earn college credits for advanced coursework while giving them a global perspective.

Holt is the recipient of several education awards including Inez Tenenbaum Award from the S.C. State Department of Education.

Graduation will be livestreamed at the following link, https://youtu.be/JHSCDV-Z7ZM.

The Class of 2020 includes:

Number of degrees awarded: 290 total graduating

Number of graduates: 45 graduate students

Number of international graduates: 2

Number of student athletes: 7

Number of graduates from Aiken: 61

Number of graduates from South Carolina: 244

Number of veterans or military students: 44

Number by degree and major:

Master of Education in Educational Technology: 2

Master of Education in Educator Leadership: 5

Master of Science in Applied Clinical Psychology: 5

Master of Business Administration: 33

Bachelor of Arts: 44

Biology: 2

Communication: 8

Communication and Digital Arts: 1

English: 2

Fine Arts: 7

History: 1

Music Education: 1

Political Science: 4

Psychology: 2

Sociology: 16

Bachelor of Arts in Education: 22

Early Childhood Education: 6

Elementary Education: 12

Middle Level Education: 1

Secondary Education: 3

Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies: 3

Bachelor of Arts in Special Education: 2

Bachelor of Science: 55

Applied Computer Science: 1

Biology: 19

Chemistry: 1

Exercise and Sports Science: 13

Industrial Mathematics: 1

Industrial Process Engineering: 3

Math and Computer Science: 3

Psychology: 14

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration: 51

Bachelor of Science in Nursing: 68