Dwayne Green, a Charleston-based trial lawyer, attributes his academic success and career path largely to the educational foundation he received at the Porter-Gaud School, where he now serves as a member on the Board of Trustees.
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I attended Porter-Gaud School in Charleston, South Carolina from 1982 until I graduated in 1987. My mother worked as a court reporter for a judge whose son also attended Porter-Gaud. When she expressed disappointment over the public school options in Charleston at the time, he recommended that she take a look at Porter-Gaud. Although the experience was difficult at times, I can look back fondly and say that my enrollment at Porter-Gaud was one of the best things that ever happened to me as a child. My attendance there set me on a path to academic success that I never left, and it surrounded me with inspirational peers, many of whom remain close friends to this day.
The initial transition to an elite, college preparatory school was difficult only because of pre-suppositions I had about race and class. As a middle class, African-American student, I wondered how I would be accepted by mostly white, mostly affluent classmates. Those concerns were quickly dispelled during my first year at Porter-Gaud. Not only were the students surprisingly tolerant of differences, they were very welcoming, friendly and inviting. As a whole, they embraced me, and I was never made to feel excluded because of my race.
The challenges were always subtle. Because I was one of a few minority students at the time (the minority population at the school has since dramatically increased), I did always feel different. That was ameliorated by activities outside of school, and other black friends from area public schools. The abilities to handle those differences and cope with being a minority across a variety of situations are some of the greatest skills I acquired while at Porter-Gaud. Because of that grounding, I never felt that I could not do anything that my white peers could in social settings later in life.
Porter-Gaud also challenged me and prepared me academically in a way that continues to benefit me to this day. The teachers not only cared, but they took an active interest in my progress. They challenged me, scolded me (when appropriate), and made me realize that to reach my potential, I needed to put forth the maximum effort. If it were not for this encouragement, I would not have set my objectives as high as I did for college and beyond. At the urging of my guidance counselors, I attended several summer programs that introduced me to elite college programs from all over the country. My senior year, I applied early admission to Princeton University, and I was accepted. I never would have considered Princeton as an option, but not for the guidance and direction I received at Porter-Gaud.
Today, I am a partner in my own law firm, and a member of the Porter-Gaud Board. My high-school classmates from Porter-Gaud remain some of my closest friends to this day. Although there have been many formative experiences in my life, I would not be the person I am today if not for the educational experiences I received at Porter-Gaud School.
- Dwayne Green
Green & Ford LLC
