Succeeding a successful and beloved leader as current South Aiken High School Principal and Aiken County Principal of the Year Jill Jett is never an easy thing for a new administrator.
Fortunately, Samuel Fuller is not one to shrink from responsibility or shy away from a challenge – it is just not something Jett modeled or taught over the last three years Fuller served as an assistant principal at the school. Ms. Jett is retiring after the 2017-18 school year.
Aiken County Board of Education members School approved Fuller’s appointment as the new principal at South Aiken High School for the 2018-19 school year during Tuesday’s regularly scheduled meeting held at Silver Bluff High.
“I am really excited and ready to get started,” Fuller stated Tuesday. “Ms. Jett always accepted and embraced every challenge, and I feel that I am the same way. I understand the expectations associated with leading South Aiken High School, and I feel more than ready to accept those challenges.”
Fuller said what he appreciated most about serving under Ms. Jett for several years was her attention to detail in all school matters.
“One of the most important things I learned from Ms. Jett was her attention to detail,” Fuller commented. “No matter what the situation was, or whether it was big or small, she made sure everything was accounted for. That is something that is very important as a building principal.”
Fuller’s academic background includes a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education from The Citadel, a Master of Education in Divergent Learning degree from Columbia College, and holds a Master of Education in School Administration from the University of South Carolina.
Before taking a position as an assistant principal at South Aiken High, Fuller served as a teacher and football coach at Aiken Middle School, and as a teacher and basketball coach at Hillcrest High School and Sumter High School in Sumter County.
His numerous accomplishments and contributions as an Aiken County administrator include service as a facilities supervisor, a teaching standards evaluator, and chairperson of a District physical education curriculum writing team, in addition to work as a 504 coordinator and District instructional framework facilitator. Fuller was an integral component of the District’s strategic planning team, while also serving as a National Blue Ribbon Coordinator and Read 180 coordinator.
Prior to the start of the 2018-19 school year, Fuller says he will reach out to the South Aiken High community for assistance in a new visioning process that will push an already successful school into the future.
“I look forward to working with the faculty and staff to take South Aiken High to the next level instructionally,” Fuller stated. “I want to spend some time getting feedback from a variety of stakeholders, including our teachers and parents, as to what their expectations are as they relate to our school’s vision and where we want to go.”
Fuller will begin his duties as South Aiken High principal in July.
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