A concurrent RESOLUTION

 

To request the Department of Transportation name West Chester School Road in Chester County "Wayne E. Worthy Memorial Road" and erect appropriate signs or markers at this location containing these words.

 

Whereas, roads and highways often are named for politicians, public servants, sports icons, and others who have made a positive impact on a town or community. In Chester County, Wayne E. Worthy is that person; and

 

Whereas, Worthy graduated from Chester High School in 1974, the year it was built, and returned there to teach in 1980. Over the course of the next four decades he comforted, inspired, and enriched generation after generation, encouraging them to be the best that they could be; and

 

Whereas, reflecting on his life's work, Mr. Worthy said, "a great teacher is somebody who cares a great deal for students and teaches them not how good or bad they are, but what they can become." A teacher should be "a dream builder not a dream buster." His life demonstrated that education is about more than grades and test scores but about lifting the human spirit into a life of meaning and service to others. He encouraged his students to use education as a vehicle to learn so that along with hard work, dreaming boldly, and persistence, everyone is capable of self-actualization; and

 

Whereas, Mr. Worthy's impact extended beyond C-3, his longtime classroom where he taught government, economics, and history. Former students would return for guidance and support, and parents sought out his classroom because they knew he challenged students to grow. Colleagues admired his unwavering commitment to learning and his belief that every child deserved someone who cared enough to help them succeed. Students always knew Mr. Worthy loved and believed in them even if no one else cared; and

 

Whereas, a teacher's influence reaches far beyond a single school year, extending into families, careers, and communities for generations. Mr. Worthy spent his entire forty-year teaching career invested in the students and serving the community in which he lived and loved. His commitment was so strong that he taught until his health declined later in life. He passed away on January 25, 2025, shortly after retiring; and

 

Whereas, while future generations will not have the opportunity to sit in Mr. Wayne E. Worthy's classroom, it is only fitting and proper that West Chester School Road is named in his memory so they will see his name and be reminded of the values he championed: hard work, lifelong learning, compassion, and the belief that every person has the potential to grow and succeed through education. Now, therefore,

 

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:

 

That the members of the South Carolina General Assembly, by this resolution, request the Department of Transportation name West Chester School Road in Chester County "Wayne E. Worthy Memorial Road" and erect appropriate signs or markers at this location containing these words.

 

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the Department of Transportation.

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