The Journey of the 70's and the Magical Voice of May River Academy

Moving to Hilton Head Island in 1969 gave limited options for schooling. Although the island would begin growing at lightning speed, schools for the growing number of full time residents was on a slower growth process.

The first school I attended was a fledgling "Sea Pines Academy" housed in a converted bowling alley. With more growth this moved into the annex of a Church, and then grew into a larger portion of those buildings. An intriguing option was the addition of an "inflatable bubble" building to a accommodate lunch room, space for band and additional teaching space. A new building was finally erected just inside the Sea Pines gate and Sea Pines Academy had an official modern space.

Hilton Head Elementary was a public school closer to the entrance of Hilton Head,

Mrs. Aiken, sixth grade me, Mrs. Braxton; "Smokey Joe Robinson" no where in sight.

where I attended sixth grade under Isaac Wilborn, the principal, and I was taught by Mrs. Aiken, Mrs. Braxton and "Smokey Joe Robinson," (some of you know who that was - thankfully I was never acquainted with him.)

Next up, I spent seventh and eighth grades at McCracken High School in Bluffton, SC.

And I would say this is in large part where my love of reading began with those Scholastic Book Fairs.

For the beginning of my high school years my parents enrolled me in May River Academy; a very small school (200 students in Kindergarten through 12th grade) also located in Bluffton, SC. And this is where the magic truly began.

It would seriously take a book to understand the magnitude of the experience at this small and obscure place, but I just want to share the voices that shaped those years for me.

Tony Blanton as headmaster was an enthusiastic and charismatic leader. A cheerleader in a former life, he brought excitement, joy and shine to this school. A pep rally with him at the helm was a magical experience. His love for the school, its students and cheering us onward set the stage for pure magic at any event. I had never experienced "School Spirit" at this level.

The teachers in a small school like this are not here to "make millions;" they are here out of love for teaching and their students. So, every one of my teachers contributed to my growth as a student, and as a person. From Mrs. Robinson's teaching me French and English and encouraging my first real foray into journaling, to the delightful way that Sally Ibbeken kept us smiling as we worked through Literature and drama; to Dave Schmucker trying to teach me Algebra - even with colored chalk to see if that would help this "flower child" understand it better - to Coach Atkinson in "9B" in the temporary building (tin can!) putting up with all our shenanigans- The years were marked by cheerleading, football, basketball and track and the growing "family" of the May River Years that still gives me goosebumps when I think about it.

It was the late 70's and parents were fully involved at the school; drugs and alcohol had not "taken over" the scene. There were few personal computers, zero personal phones, and we were all still looking at each other over meals. We wrote notes to each other on actual paper and called each other on a phone attached to a wall when we were home. It was the disco era and we hired actual bands for school dances. There was a straightforward simplicity that we had no idea would be gone in a couple decades.

These years were also a spiritual awakening. Christian music came on the scene with the likes of Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant, Petra, Second Chapter of Acts, Andre Crouch and others. Radios began carrying Chuck Swindoll Bible teaching and James Dobson was helping parents to parent. I personally had come to faith in Christ and my heart and the whole world seemed different.

High school is an impressionable time for many. I just happen to have been blessed with wonderful friends, teachers and experiences that made this time beautiful. What I would take forward as I left for College was joy: joy that I had been a part of a time and place like no other, and a joy that would remind me of how amazing the world can be when life is simple and people live face to face.

With Joy in the Journey,