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These students were taught by Mount Pleasant native Joe Semsar this past school year. They are students at Lanier Elementary School in Baton Rouge. Their school, with the help of Semsar, was chosen to be renovated as part of NBC's new show called School pride.

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Joe Semsar is a Teach America participant and teaches in an inner-city school, in which 93 percent of the students are on free and reduced lunch.

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Joe Semsar was selected to participate in Teach America, a non profit organization that recruits college seniors to serve in the classroom. Organizers look for top-qualified seniors and, once selected, they take a six-week crash course on teaching. Participants then teach for two years. Semsar graduated from Clemson with a political science and business administration degree.

Mount Pleasant native Joe Semsar didn't go to school to become a teacher, but after the loss of his father he decided to follow in his footsteps and nurture the young minds that need it most.

After graduating from Clemson University in May of 2009 he applied to serve as a Teach for America corps member in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

"I wanted to participate because my mom has been an elementary school teacher at Sullivan's Island Elementary School for many years and in total has been teaching for 34 years. My dad was a professor at Savannah State University and Trident Technical College. During my senior year, he passed away from pulminary fibrosis," Semsar said. "My path has always been to go to law school but when my dad passed away I thought I would try what my parents have loved doing all their lives."

Teach America is a no-profit organization that recruits college seniors to serve in the classroom. Organizers look for like top qualified seniors and select them and then they take a six-week crash course on teaching. Participants then teach for two years. Semsar graduated from Clemson with a political science and business adminstration degree.

Semsar applied for Teach America and saw that Baton Rouge had a great need for teachers so he made it his first choice. He was chosen and spent the last year at Lanier Elementary School teaching fourth grade.

"Lanier Elementary School is an unprivileged, under-resourced school located off of Lanier Drive in the heart of Baton Rouge," he said. "It is an inner-city school, in which 93 percent of our students are on free and reduced lunch. The facility is dilapidated, and no place for educational advancement. In fact, it has not been maintained or repaired in nearly 60 years. Mold, leaky roofs, out-of-date classrooms, and a dysfunctional playground are just some of the problems plaguing the school."

Semsar said most classrooms don't have white boards and some don't even have chalk boards.

"I used a portable white board most of the year," he said.

While doing some research, Semsar and his roommate found out about a television show on NBC's called School Pride. The show is a spin-off of ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, and it follows basically the same premise; however, instead of renovating homes the show will be renovating schools.

"We pitched the school to the producers at NBC and within two or three days crews were in Baton Rouge interviewing us.

"Fortunately for the Lanier Community, TV giant NBC caught wind of the school's difficulties and chose Lanier in a nationwide search for schools in which to spotlight," Semsar said. "The show, which will air in the fall, aims to transform run-down schools by renovating them in just a few days. From July 12-18, the cameras will be on as NBC films a massive community effort to makeover Lanier. Specially-skilled volunteers and general volunteers are needed to make this project a success. Volunteers will receive a free t-shirt and will enjoy rolling up their sleeves as they play a part in making Lanier the top notch facility that its students deserve."

Semsar said that while it might not be easy for Lowcountry residents to travel to Baton Rouge to volunteer, they can still help the effort by sending school supplies and monetary donations. Clemson University is sending a charter bus of 67 volunteers to the site.

Semsar said the governor and first lady will be on hand as well as the Saints football team.

"This truly is going to be a massive community effort that will be a lot of fun and pretty special for the students," he said. "Many of them will be there helping us out. It's going to be like Habitat for Humanity on steroids."

To view the show's trailer, visit: www.nbc.com/school-pride/video/school-pride-full-length-trailer/1228317/

(Sully Witte can be reached by e-mailing editor@moultrienews.com.)