Amarintha Wright Whitener 1955, Ernestine Wright 1959, Peggy Wright 1961

Amarintha Wright Whitener graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1955. Devoted to her studies, Mrs. Whitener was valedictorian of her class. In addition to her studies, Mrs. Whitener played basketball and was active in the glee club at Roosevelt High. Upon graduation, Mrs. Whitener attended Benedict College, where she graduated in 1960 with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Studies. She later completed her Master of Education from South Carolina State University. Mrs. Whitener went on to teach in Fairfield and Spartanburg Counties. In addition to her service as a teacher, Mrs. Whitener also served as assistant principal in the Spartanburg County School District. Later, Mrs. Whitner found her way back to her hometown where she served as assistant principal and principal at Kinard Elementary School. Mrs. Whitener retired from public education after 34 years of service.

In 1959, Amarintha's sister, Ernestine Wright, graduated from Roosevelt High School. Miss Wright played basketball and was active in many organizations, such as the library club, glee club, and the commerce club. Miss Wright was also an active member of the student council at Roosevelt High. Upon graduation, Miss Wright, too, decided to dedicate her career to the field of education as she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Education in 1963 and a Master of Education degree in 1969 from South Carolina State College. Miss Wright loved math and served as a math teacher in Woodruff, Lancaster, and Clover. In addition to her time as a teacher, Miss Wright also served as assistant principal and principal at Clover Middle School. Miss Wright retired from public education after 35 years of service.

Third sister, Peggy Wright, also decided to follow the path to education. A 1961 graduate of Roosevelt High School, Miss Wright was an active member of the band, the commercial club, and the 4-H club. Upon graduation from Roosevelt, Miss Wright went on to earn her Bachelor of Science degree in education in 1965 and a Master of Education degree in 1970 from South Carolina State College. Miss Wright has served in many capacities in education. She served as a media specialist at Roebuck, S.C. and in Mount Holly, N.C. Miss Wright also taught second grade in Great Falls. In addition to her roles as teacher and media specialist, Miss Wright also served as a guidance counselor at East Gaston High and Hunter Huss High School. Miss Wright retired from public education after 37 years of service.

The interest in education did not end with the three Wright sisters. Niece, Frankie Wright Bennet, graduated from Clover High School with honors in 1977. During her time at Clover High, Mrs. Bennett, was a J.V. and varsity cheerleader as well as a member of the band. She was a member of the student council and served as the editor for the yearbook staff. She was also a member of Block C and the French clubs. In addition to these activities, Mrs. Bennett also made time to drive a school bus. After high school, Mrs. Bennett obtained an elementary education degree from Winthrop College in 1981. Later she obtained her master's degree and became a National Board Certified teacher in Early Adolescent Mathematics. Mrs. Bennett began her teaching career in Chester at Dora Jones Gayle School. She later taught at Harold C. Johnson in York and Fort Mill Middle in Fort Mill. Mrs. Bennett eventually found her way back to Clover and spent many years teaching at Clover Junior High School before finally moving to Mid-Carolina Middle School in Prosperity. Throughout her career, Mrs. Bennett has served as a math coach, a curriculum coordinator, and a math curriculum specialist. Mrs. Bennet retired from public education after 35 years of service.

In 1989, Amarintha Whitener's daughter, Millicent Whitener Dickey, decided to follow in the family tradition. A 1989 graduate of Clover High School, Ms. Dickey was active in the band and in the Bi-Sci-Chem club. Ms. Dickey was also a member of the National Honor Society and served as a member and editor of the yearbook staff. Upon graduation from Clover High School, Ms. Dickey attended Clemson University where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Education in 1994. In addition to her undergraduate degree, Ms. Dickey received her Master of Education degree from Winthrop University in 1997. Ms. Dickey went on to receive her Education Specialist degree in 2011 and her Doctor of Philosophy in 2014 from the University of South Carolina. She began teaching first grade at Griggs Road Elementary School in 1994 and in 2000 she became the assistant principal at Crowders Creek Elementary School. In 2004, Ms. Dickey moved to Kinard Elementary School and continued to serve as assistant principal until 2006, when she was named principal at Crowders Creek Elementary. Since 2013 Ms. Dickey has served at the district level as the director of teacher quality and the director of human resources and currently serves as the Chief Academic officer of Clover School District. Ms. Dickey has spent the last 27 years working in the Clover School District.

What an impact the Wright family has had on education over the years. Working with children and teachers to educate our next generation has been their passion and the Clover Schools Alumni Association is proud to highlight each of them.