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For more information, contact Barb Steadman - 843.857.4199

HARTSVILLE, S.C. – Sept. 29, 2011 – Seven students from Hartsville High School are receiving personal voice training at Coker College and dual credit in music through the community’s new P.U.L.S.E. initiative.

Partners for Unparalleled Local Scholastic Excellence (PULSE) is a first-of-its-kind public-private partnership involving the Darlington County School District, the South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics (GSSM), Coker College, Yale University’s School Development Program and Sonoco, which is funding the five-year $5 million initiative.

Nicole Hyman, Sarah Floyd, Alex Morrison, Briana Zimmerman, Hailea Ringer, Emili Price and Emily Duncan have been accepted and enrolled in Coker’s Applied Music 101 Voice and represent the first cohort of students to take advantage of the PULSE program’s Accelerated Learning Opportunities in fine arts at Coker College.

“Coker College is excited about the opportunity to offer courses to promising students in Hartsville, and we’re especially pleased to discover that these first students, in particular, show an ideal combination of talent, enthusiasm and maturity,” said Coker College President Robert Wyatt.

“Hartsville High School greatly appreciates the opportunities afforded our students by the Accelerated Learning Opportunities component of the PULSE program,” said Hartsville High School Principal Charles Burry.  “We further appreciate the cooperation of Coker College in helping our students work out the daily scheduling logistics.  We are thrilled for them to be able to develop their talents through an outstanding collegiate learning experience and look forward to more of our students being able to benefit from ALO courses in the future.”

“It has been a real treat for my colleague Music Instructor Eric Kesler and I to begin to know these students as individuals,” said Assistant Professor of Music Serena Hill-LaRoche. “But, beyond that, it is obviously a special privilege to be able to help them develop and refine their unique abilities while building a strong academic foundation for their musical aspirations.

The course requirements include weekly 30-minute private lessons, daily practice, participation in a studio class on campus that meets twice a week after school, and attendance at six evening concerts at Coker.

Through PULSE’s Accelerated Learning Opportunities, Coker offers courses in music, art, dance and theater.  Applications for the spring semester, which begins on Jan. 5, are available now and must be submitted before Dec. 1.  To download an application or for more information about specific course requirements, visit www.teachfoundation.org.

PHOTO: From front left, Serena Hill-LaRoche, Nicole Hyman, Sarah Floyd, Alex Morrison, (row 2) Sharman Poplova, Eric Kesler, Emily Duncan, Emili Price, Hailea Ringer and Briana Zimmerman.

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Coker College readies undergraduates for personal and professional success through a distinctive four-year program that emphasizes a practical application of the liberal arts as well as hands-on and discussion-based learning within and beyond the classroom. Coker is ranked among the “Best Colleges” in the South by U.S. News & World Report as well as The Princeton Review. Located in Hartsville, Coker is within two hours of the cultural, financial and recreational resources of Charlotte, Columbia, Charleston and Myrtle Beach. For more information contact Barb Steadman: 843-397-9959 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .