PHOTO: (Left to Right) Hayden Hendrix and Isabella Lefew.

DARLINGTON, S.C. (July 25, 2024) – Recent Mayo High School for Math, Science & Technology graduates, Hayden Hendrix and Isabella Lefew, contributed greatly to the City of Darlington’s Economic Development and Planning initiatives while interning through the Darlington County School District Internship Program.

Hendrix and Lefew are both 17-years-old and natives of Hartsville, SC. In addition, their birthdays are a week apart, and they’re both attending the University of South Carolina in August. Hendrix will be studying graphic design and minoring in advertising, and Lefew will be studying civil engineering.

While they have incredible similarities, their complementary skillsets created a duo that greatly benefitted the City’s beautification projects, Zoning and Land Development Ordinance and Renaissance Master Plan.

During their internship, Hendrix and Lefew assisted the City of Darlington’s Economic Development and Planning Director, Merry Morgan Smith, with designing signal box graphics, performing demanding data research for parcel assessments and mapping and assisting with Renaissance Master Plan meetings.

“They are stellar,” Smith said. “They each have different skills and abilities, but they came prepared to succeed. I think there’s no doubt that the young ladies will succeed. They are prepared for what they need to do as they now set their sights on doing well at USC and eventually within the workforce. I was really impressed with what they brought to the internships.”

Their first big project was to design covers for signal boxes that are to be placed on the Public Square. Hendrix and Lefew conducted research at the Darlington County Historical Commission & Museum and compiled the information to turn their ideas into graphical masterpieces that tell the story of Darlington’s past courthouses, Park Terrace Hotel, City Hall and Liberty Theatre.

They also conducted parcel assessments that aided in the mapping of the properties throughout the city limits and then entered the field during the hot summer months to document vacant lots. The students converted the collected data into operational maps.

“The parcel assessments for one,” said Hendrix on what she learned during the internship. “I didn’t even know anything about that, but I can research people now and their properties.”

Hendrix, who holds an array of certificates from the Darlington County Institute of Technology (DCIT) enjoyed the graphic design aspects the most.

“I really did like the graphic design, so I think that was my favorite part,” Hendrix said. “Just piecing everything together and finding out cool, interesting facts I didn’t know from before.”

As for Lefew, she learned how vital it is for the City of Darlington to conduct this research and to communicate with the public throughout the duration of each project.

“I’ve learned how much connection there is with the public in this position,” Lefew said. “Everybody around here works together, and there’s a lot more public outreach than I realized.”

Hendrix and Lefew also believe that their education at Mayo High School aided in the successful completion of the internship.

“I think a lot of the soft skills that they teach us at Mayo, as far as time management, taking initiative and showing up to do things,” Lefew said about how the school’s education assisted her. “A big part of Mayo is giving the kids more challenging tasks than other schools, so having that comparison, knowing that I can do those more challenging things, has helped me become more confident here.”

Hendrix added, “I feel like Mayo really taught us how to communicate well with our peers and with our coworkers. I feel like that really helped us a lot in this internship.”

Hendrix’s and Lefew’s hard work will soon be on display and available for residents and visitors to view. The two graduates can now carry their workforce experience with them to college and well into their future careers.

For more information on the City of Darlington, visit www. cityofdarlington.com or call 843-398-4000.