Kentnelle Miller may be 13, but his wisdom goes beyond his years.

“Everywhere you go, there’s someone that you get along with and somebody you don’t. There’s always someone you don’t get along with,” he said.

Miller was part of Orangeburg County’s first G.R.E.A.T. class of students. They graduated during a ceremony held last week at the Boys and Girls Club of America.

In addition to social skills, the 19 graduating students took part in classes aimed at gang violence, relationships, crime and Internet safety, among other topics.

“We learned not to take matters into your own hands,” Miller said of the 13-week course. “But if you do, talk it out in the right way.”

Each of the graduating elementary and middle school students received their own diploma and gold medal necklace.

The G.R.E.A.T. program is a acronym for Gang Resistance Education and Training, a course aimed at helping young people make better decisions concerning gang membership and confrontations.

“You are the first graduates in Orangeburg County,” said Deputy Major Mernard Clarkson of the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office. “You are the leaders, you are tomorrow. You have been given the tools to be successful.”

G.R.E.A.T. Southeastern Regional Director Russell Permaul drove in from a meeting in another state to attend the graduation. Permaul encouraged the students to continue being a positive influence in their community.

The class of 19 who graduated on Friday is the product of G.R.E.A.T. instructors, local law enforcement officers who successfully completed their training in the curriculum in February. In Orangeburg County, 16 officers graduated the G.R.E.A.T. training program held at Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College.

The G.R.E.A.T. program develops partnerships with the nation’s youth organizations, such as the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the National Association of Police Athletic Leagues.

Those partnerships are aimed, officials say, at encouraging positive relationships among the community, parents, schools and law enforcement officers.

With training officers in place, more classes are expected to graduate around the community.

T&D Staff Writer Richard Walker can be reached by e-mail at rwalker@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5516.

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