As Musselman High celebrates its 25th anniversary, small changes seen by the staff and alumni alike can be easily ignored or overlooked compared to considerable accomplishments and achievements made by the school, and as a result need to be heard more. Small achievements and even changes thought trivial for few to notice are often the building blocks to more significant and impressive milestones in the future. There are also apparent setbacks, which are imperative to normalize and discuss so feedback can be taken into account.

Musselman’s history of how the building was made is well known to the community, consisting of a charming background about an underfunded Berkeley County being relieved of a financial burden– the construction of a new high school. The sponsor of the new high school, an apple sauce company named after its generous founder, Christian High Musselman, would cement itself in BCS history 54 years after Mr. Musselman’s death with a brand new high school in his name right across the road.

Twenty-five years after MuHS was built, plenty of staff have come and left, having differing experiences of the changes along the way.

One example is Mrs. Sullivan, a well-known social studies teacher who has resided in the building for 20 years. Mrs. Sullivan noted the tremendously higher graduation rates now compared to the beginning of her career at Musselman. She elaborated that throughout the duration of her time at Musselman, the community that the staff provided was always a positive part of her position: “My co-workers have been a highlight of the position, we help each other and create a tight-knit space.”

Sullivan would also comment on the improvements of the systems in place for mental health and other condition impairments.

“I think now more than ever mental health is being taken seriously, as it should be, so students quality of life and student life balance is changing for the better, stated Sullivan. Despite the positive changes, Sullivan expressed her growing distaste for the current education environment and student behavior outside of MuHS.

Mr. James Valdesalice, another MuHS history teacher, commented on the state of education, stating, “It is challenging sometimes being in this position, the lack thereof of respect by the higher ups and the students can cause many teachers to rethink their choice in career.”

Valdesalice praised also the apparent successes within Musselman’s advancements in treating special education students and the consistent quality of the school’s marching band: “I think everyone has always thought we had a good band. Mr. Knepper has always done a good job with that.”.

Throughout Musselman’s duration, it has been shown frequently that it can and has improved drastically. Most of the student body and staff love Musselman regardless of its imperfections. The recognition of that effort to continue to improve the educational environment and highlight achievements on Musselman High’s 25th birthday express that.