Lake City Hosts USC’s First Domestic Maymester

LAKE CITY, S.C. — University of South Carolina Honors College hosted its first ever domestic Maymester in South Carolina last month in Lake City, home of philanthropist and investor Darla Moore. The honors credit course offered students an understanding of how to restart a local economy through hands-on workshops and research.

Six students spent about two weeks in the town to study the economic impacts of ArtFields, the Southeast’s leading art competition and Moore Farms Botanical Gardens (MFBG) — both creations stemmed from Moore’s reimagining of her hometown through principles of community and creativity.

Students resided in cottages at MFBG during their stay, a world-class botanical garden on the Moore family estate. During the course, students met with Darla Moore and many local and state representatives. They worked hands-on with the Darla Moore Foundation, Visit Lake City and Greater Lake City Chamber of Commerce staff.

Survey and Interviews

The honor students designed a survey and interviewed businesses to gain insight on the 9-day festival’s economic impact. They presented their findings on the last day of class to ArtFields executives, including the CEO of Darla Moore Foundation, Harry Lesesne.

“There was also a service component where they went to the resource center, volunteered at the food pantry one day, they toured with the historical society, met with the superintendent of schools, the mayor, and representative Kirby,” said Mara Zepedia, Entrepreneur in Resident at the Darla Moore School of Business.

Community Impact

According to Zepedia, the honors students passed the Maymester course with flying colors. Audra Grant works in print and broadcast. She enjoys reporting on the Florence community as a multimedia journalist.