SWU alumnus' school benefits from Colbert gift
Damon Qualls, center, assistant principal of Berea Middle School and a 2013 SWU MEDAS graduate, pictured with comedian Steven Colbert and actress Yvette Nicole Brown at the DonorsChoose.org Partnership Summit this past May at New York.
Pictured from left: Colbert; Damon Qualls, assistant principal at Berea Middle School; Genein Letford, music educator at NEW Academy Canoga Park (Los Angeles); Jane Viau, social studies educator at Fredrick Douglass Academy, Harlem, N.Y.; and Actress Yvette Nicole Brown. They were at DonorsChoose.org’s Partnership Summit in New York.
Damon Qualls, a 2013 graduate of Southern Wesleyan University’s master of education in administration and supervision (MEDAS) program, looked forward to being part of a panel discussion in New York City, but didn’t anticipate that he would witness a historic outpouring of goodwill that gained extensive media attention.
Qualls, who at the time was a fifth-grade teacher at Alexander Elementary School in Greenville, was invited to participate in DonorsChoose.org's Partnership Summit this past May in New York City. More than 50 representatives from companies and foundations that together provide $38 million in annual classroom project funding came together at the summit, which took place at the Ford Foundation building. He had an opportunity to join two other educators, one from California and the other from New York, in a panel discussion.
Qualls, who has been recently hired as assistant principal at Berea Middle School, discussed his experiences of presenting best practices across the state of South Carolina at various state conferences.
“Actress Yvette Nicole Brown, a member of the executive team, asked questions about what brought me to DonorsChoose.org, but also how the projects I’ve had funded through the site have affected my classroom, and how I go about fundraising for my projects,” Qualls said, noting that he secured funding for 127 projects, representing more than $65,000 for his classroom and more than $150,000 for his school.
“At the conclusion of the panel is when I was shocked by Mr. Stephen Colbert! My students, along with my principal, Dr. Sonya Campbell, and South Carolina state Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman were then streamed in to hear the great news first hand from Mr. Stephen Colbert,” Qualls added. Colbert, a Charleston, S.C. native, announced that he would fund $800,000 in grants to state schools.
Qualls says that the funding for Alexander Elementary will enable them to purchase technology that will help enhance learning for students and teachers, as well as buy blazers to be worn by students in the Men Who Read program in grades 3 through 5.
“We’re overwhelmed by the generosity of Mr. Colbert, DonorsChoose and others who made this possible,” Qualls told Rev. Al Sharpton in an interview on MSNBC. “We are going to do everything we can do to hold up our end of the bargain – to continue to teach inspiring lessons and motivate our students to make learning a lifelong commitment.”
Qualls earned his degree at Southern Wesleyan’s Greenville learning center. A veteran of more than a decade in the classroom, he has been actively involved as a Southern Wesleyan alumnus, having also recently served on the university’s School of Education's accreditation team.
With regional education centers conveniently located across South Carolina, as well as fully online programs for select degrees, Southern Wesleyan University is a Christ-centered, student-focused learning community devoted to transforming lives by challenging students to be dedicated scholars and servant-leaders who impact the world for Christ. For details about degree programs, visit swu.edu.