Rural. Poor. Disadvantaged. Minimally adequate education. The documentary “Corridor of Shame” used these catchphrases to describe my primary and secondary education. The documentary highlights the failure of the state of South Carolina to provide a “minimally adequate education” to the poor rural school districts, including mine, along Interstate 95. In my hometown, opportunities for advancement were limited. From a very young age, my mother inculcated in me that the only way to advance in society was to get a good education. This was increasingly difficult to do in a school district that lacked adequate textbooks, basic laboratory equipment, or advanced placement courses. Despite these challenges, I graduated from high school at the top of
