Will RICHARDSON

• Name	Will RICHARDSON  [1, 2]
  Gender	Male
  HIST	Initiative makes college transition easy for WH grad PHOTO PROVIDED Initiative makes college transition easy for WH grad From left, Joni, Will and Burchell Richardson show off their Gamecock pride. Will Richardson graduated from Wilson Hall and is now attending the Honors College at University of South Carolina Columbia. BY JADE ANDERSON janderson@theitem.com Editor's note: This is the seventh article in a series on Sumter graduates and their families. For one local graduate, the key to transitioning to college was to get involved from the very beginning. "Be proactive," Will Richardson said. "Get involved quickly. Make friends outside of your friends from high school and the normal group you are comfortable with. Try everything you can because if you don't try, you might have lost an opportunity. You never know when you'll enjoy doing something." The Wilson Hall graduate is a student at the Honors College at the University of South Carolina Columbia. He started off in biomedical engineering but has switched to biochemistry, which will give him opportunities to do more than just engineering, he said. During his first semester, Richardson asked about assisting in a professor's lab. He ended up working in Jay Blanchette's biomedical engineering lab researching the use of adult stem cells to generate cartilage. He has continued to do so this semester. "It's really interesting, and I've really enjoyed that," Richardson said. "I'm learning more about cell cultures, keeping them alive and changing the food. I'm learning about how to use the microscopes and doing statistical analysis, how they go about choosing what to do and carry out what to do. I'm learning how to do everything on a basic level." His father, Burchell Richardson, and his mother, Joni Richardson, noted some of the lab work the school offers when the family toured the college before Will enrolled. "If I had to do it over again, I'd be involved in Alzheimer's research myself," Joni Richardson said. She lost a relative to the disease. She is in bookkeeping at Hunter Builders Inc. in Sumter. Burchell Richardson is principal of North Central Middle School in Kershaw County. Will, the couple's only son, is also a regular member of Midtown Fellowship Church, a nondenominational group geared toward college students, he said, and is active in the Christian fraternity, Kappa Upsilon Chi. He originally tried some other things his first semester, but his parents were concerned he needed to scale back his schedule some. "USC has 200-plus clubs and organizations," Will said. "I was amazed at how many things he got into," Burchell Richardson said. "He had to curtail some." Will took biology 101, chemistry 111, calculus I, math 141, English 283 British literature and biomedical engineering 101, along with the three labs his first semester. He earned five As and one B. "The whole Honors College experience has been amazing," Will said. "It is an amazing location and a nice building. You can wake up, roll out of bed, get food and get to class. It's near the amazing Strom Thurmond Wellness and Fitness Center. I've really enjoyed the whole experience." His mother also liked that the dorms have study rooms built on each floor, "so he has the opportunity to really be able to focus." She said 50 people applied for seven slots to serve as resident hall mentors for the dorm next semester, and Will was accepted. "He felt fortunate to get it," Joni Richardson said. "It will cut room and board in half, and he'll also get paid." Will earned numerous scholarships. He received the LIFE scholarship and will get the science enhancement next year. He had an engineering scholarship the first semester, but once he switched majors, he lost the second half of it. Will said the science enhancement will take the place of the engineering scholarship. He also won an Elks Club Scholarship, a USC alumni scholarship, a Dean's scholarship and the Warr Scholarship from Wilson Hall. Burchell Richardson said his tuition is covered, but the family has paid some out-of-pocket for books and room and board. The whole family agreed Wilson Hall prepared Will for success in college. He attended the school from fifth to 12th grade. "The teachers I had, especially later in the process, got me real interested in science," Will said. "My chemistry teachers made my freshman chemistry so easy because I'd learned everything in high school." His mother said it helped that he took advantage of Advanced Placement courses as well. "He flourished there and did very well academically," Joni Richardson said. "They have a great guidance department. Diane Richardson knows her stuff, (and) it made a big difference. She told us things about how to go through enrollment, look for scholarships and find scholarships for specific schools." She said the college counselor also recommends students for scholarships she knows they qualify for. Diane Richardson is the college counselor at the Sumter private school and is not related to the Richardson family. "It's also a small school with like 60 students per grade," Burchell Richardson said. "That allows for a lot of personal relationships. The Honors College is very much the same. It's its own little niche in the college." Will's parents had advice for students and their parents. "Study hard, and get as many scholarships as you can," Burchell Richardson said. He also recommended visiting colleges. He attended USC "a number of years ago" and said it has changed. "I always tried to impress upon him good study habits," Joni Richardson said. "Work closely with the guidance counselor in your school. Get as much information as possible. Utilize the Internet. Find out what scholarships are available in your community." Burchell Richardson said not to wait until the senior year of high school to think about college and to take courses, such as AP classes, that will prepare one for college. "Don't take the easiest thing out there," he said. "Take the hard courses and you won't be blown out the water." His son agreed. "When you are in high school, take as many AP, IB (International Baccalaureate), dual enrollment credits, etc., that you can," Will said. "It will put you farther ahead." He and his mom also said take the SAT or ACT, standardized college entrance exams, more than once. "Your first time is almost never your best," Will said. His parents are pleased with how well Will is doing. "He's taken care of his mind and body," Burchell Richardson said. "Physically, spiritually, mentally, he's hit all aspects. That's not an easy thing to do with a heavy load." Both he and Will's mother were surprised at how quickly their son transitioned. "I was surprised how he's done, how well he's adjusted," Joni Richardson said. "I thought he might have an adjustment phase, but he jumped right in the first two weeks and made friends." Reach Jade Anderson at (803) 774-1250. Posted in Local news, News on Thursday, February 16, 2012  [1]
  HIST	Initiative makes college transition easy for WH grad PHOTO PROVIDED Initiative makes college transition easy for WH grad From left, Joni, Will and Burchell Richardson show off their Gamecock pride. Will Richardson graduated from Wilson Hall and is now attending the Honors College at University of South Carolina Columbia. BY JADE ANDERSON janderson@theitem.com Editor's note: This is the seventh article in a series on Sumter graduates and their families. For one local graduate, the key to transitioning to college was to get involved from the very beginning. "Be proactive," Will Richardson said. "Get involved quickly. Make friends outside of your friends from high school and the normal group you are comfortable with. Try everything you can because if you don't try, you might have lost an opportunity. You never know when you'll enjoy doing something." The Wilson Hall graduate is a student at the Honors College at the University of South Carolina Columbia. He started off in biomedical engineering but has switched to biochemistry, which will give him opportunities to do more than just engineering, he said. During his first semester, Richardson asked about assisting in a professor's lab. He ended up working in Jay Blanchette's biomedical engineering lab researching the use of adult stem cells to generate cartilage. He has continued to do so this semester. "It's really interesting, and I've really enjoyed that," Richardson said. "I'm learning more about cell cultures, keeping them alive and changing the food. I'm learning about how to use the microscopes and doing statistical analysis, how they go about choosing what to do and carry out what to do. I'm learning how to do everything on a basic level." His father, Burchell Richardson, and his mother, Joni Richardson, noted some of the lab work the school offers when the family toured the college before Will enrolled. "If I had to do it over again, I'd be involved in Alzheimer's research myself," Joni Richardson said. She lost a relative to the disease. She is in bookkeeping at Hunter Builders Inc. in Sumter. Burchell Richardson is principal of North Central Middle School in Kershaw County. Will, the couple's only son, is also a regular member of Midtown Fellowship Church, a nondenominational group geared toward college students, he said, and is active in the Christian fraternity, Kappa Upsilon Chi. He originally tried some other things his first semester, but his parents were concerned he needed to scale back his schedule some. "USC has 200-plus clubs and organizations," Will said. "I was amazed at how many things he got into," Burchell Richardson said. "He had to curtail some." Will took biology 101, chemistry 111, calculus I, math 141, English 283 British literature and biomedical engineering 101, along with the three labs his first semester. He earned five As and one B. "The whole Honors College experience has been amazing," Will said. "It is an amazing location and a nice building. You can wake up, roll out of bed, get food and get to class. It's near the amazing Strom Thurmond Wellness and Fitness Center. I've really enjoyed the whole experience." His mother also liked that the dorms have study rooms built on each floor, "so he has the opportunity to really be able to focus." She said 50 people applied for seven slots to serve as resident hall mentors for the dorm next semester, and Will was accepted. "He felt fortunate to get it," Joni Richardson said. "It will cut room and board in half, and he'll also get paid." Will earned numerous scholarships. He received the LIFE scholarship and will get the science enhancement next year. He had an engineering scholarship the first semester, but once he switched majors, he lost the second half of it. Will said the science enhancement will take the place of the engineering scholarship. He also won an Elks Club Scholarship, a USC alumni scholarship, a Dean's scholarship and the Warr Scholarship from Wilson Hall. Burchell Richardson said his tuition is covered, but the family has paid some out-of-pocket for books and room and board. The whole family agreed Wilson Hall prepared Will for success in college. He attended the school from fifth to 12th grade. "The teachers I had, especially later in the process, got me real interested in science," Will said. "My chemistry teachers made my freshman chemistry so easy because I'd learned everything in high school." His mother said it helped that he took advantage of Advanced Placement courses as well. "He flourished there and did very well academically," Joni Richardson said. "They have a great guidance department. Diane Richardson knows her stuff, (and) it made a big difference. She told us things about how to go through enrollment, look for scholarships and find scholarships for specific schools." She said the college counselor also recommends students for scholarships she knows they qualify for. Diane Richardson is the college counselor at the Sumter private school and is not related to the Richardson family. "It's also a small school with like 60 students per grade," Burchell Richardson said. "That allows for a lot of personal relationships. The Honors College is very much the same. It's its own little niche in the college." Will's parents had advice for students and their parents. "Study hard, and get as many scholarships as you can," Burchell Richardson said. He also recommended visiting colleges. He attended USC "a number of years ago" and said it has changed. "I always tried to impress upon him good study habits," Joni Richardson said. "Work closely with the guidance counselor in your school. Get as much information as possible. Utilize the Internet. Find out what scholarships are available in your community." Burchell Richardson said not to wait until the senior year of high school to think about college and to take courses, such as AP classes, that will prepare one for college. "Don't take the easiest thing out there," he said. "Take the hard courses and you won't be blown out the water." His son agreed. "When you are in high school, take as many AP, IB (International Baccalaureate), dual enrollment credits, etc., that you can," Will said. "It will put you farther ahead." He and his mom also said take the SAT or ACT, standardized college entrance exams, more than once. "Your first time is almost never your best," Will said. His parents are pleased with how well Will is doing. "He's taken care of his mind and body," Burchell Richardson said. "Physically, spiritually, mentally, he's hit all aspects. That's not an easy thing to do with a heavy load." Both he and Will's mother were surprised at how quickly their son transitioned. "I was surprised how he's done, how well he's adjusted," Joni Richardson said. "I thought he might have an adjustment phase, but he jumped right in the first two weeks and made friends." Reach Jade Anderson at (803) 774-1250. Posted in Local news, News on Thursday, February 16, 2012
  _UID	B06B82F746CD4705BCE312381218D1F7CEB8
  _UID	B06B82F746CD4705BCE312381218D1F7CEB8
  Person ID	I276080	Singleton and Related Families
  Last Modified	4 Jan 2015

  
  

  Father	Burchell RICHARDSON
  Mother	Joni
  _UID	718B55D9D0164FE997EA0D4437AC1C1B34CC
  _UID	718B55D9D0164FE997EA0D4437AC1C1B34CC
  Family ID	F185732	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Sources

  [S17498] Initiative makes college transition easy for WH grad. [S21956] Sadie S. Richardson.