A Spartanburg County high school student recently got an inside look at USC Upstate when he shadowed Chancellor Bennie Harris for a day.
Donning a Spartan green tie for the occasion, Dorman High School junior Corbin White was the first Chancellor for a Day participant earlier this month. Harris welcomed White to observe and learn from leadership at the university.
After a look at Harris’ calendar and a fresh cup of coffee, White first met administration members before joining a Day of Giving video shoot. White, who plans to attend USC Upstate, also accompanied the chancellor to other engagements, including a Promise Scholars luncheon and a budget meeting.
“Truly, the best part of my day was getting to see Dr. Harris walk around and just interact with everybody,” White said after being presented with a certificate for the experience. “The way he brought a smile to everybody’s faces – that had to be the best part of my day.”
He said the day was also a great opportunity to learn more about the university.
White’s mother, Kirsten White, is an executive administrative assistant in IT, and joined her son and the chancellor for the presentation at the day’s end. Harris recalled how when he first met Corbin White, his enthusiasm for, and interest in, USC Upstate stood out.
“I was so impressed with Corbin as he talked and stepped up,” Harris said. “The questions he asked me about the institution, about what makes USC Upstate great, really kind of gave me the vision and the idea that it would be great to have a young man or a young woman come and shadow the chancellor for the day.”
Kirsten White said as a parent and an employee, she was appreciative of the mentorship from the chancellor and the campus community.
Watch more from Chancellor for a Day here.