Meet the man helping Lexington One’s first-generation college students succeed

Brandon Baskett knows the challenges first-generation college students face.

As the dean of Lexington District One’s new higher education services program, he plans to make the transition easier for the district’s first generation college students.

An Aiken native, Baskett has been working in education for nine years. Before joining Lexington High as assistant principal, he worked for the Newberry County school district as a teacher at Mid Carolina High School, then as assistant principal of Newberry High and director of the freshman academy at Newberry High. He also was an assistant varsity boys basketball coach at Mid-Carolina High.

He has a bachelor’s degree in secondary education from the University of South Carolina Aiken. He also has a masters of education in educational leadership from the University of South Carolina. He is currently pursuing his doctorate in educational leadership at Liberty University.

Two of his English teachers and one math teacher at South Aiken High influenced him the most. His two English teachers helped foster a love of English. The math teacher was also the basketball coach, and Baskett loved basketball, but could not play because he helped care for his sister while their mom worked. Plus, his basketball skills needed improving in order to play at the varsity level, so he became manager for the girls’ varsity basketball team.

While working at Mid-Carolina High School, Baskett taught English and served as the assistant varsity boys basketball coach.

The program allows students to dual enroll at Midlands Technical College, allowing them to earn college credit as they work towards earning an associate degree in high school.

He had wanted to launch the program under normal circumstances last fall, but the coronavirus hit. The virus meant he had to make adjustments in order to collaborate with families and staff at the school and district levels.

As a first-generation college student, Baskett went through the college process alone until finding advocates in college who helped. The college center was created to help first generation college students prepare for college, in part by providing a support system so that the students will not be preparing for college on their own.

At the college center, students are taught how to select a college by looking at five factors, including graduation rates, the students’ preferred majors, program ranking, and whether the school is public or private.

Students learn how to prepare for college financially without losing money or amassing debt upon graduation. Changing majors or attending a college that does not offer the student’s major are two ways a student can lose money.

Baskett said he owes his career to his late mother, Annette H. Baskett, and his late mentor Bennie D. Bennett, the former superintendent of Newberry County schools.

Annette Baskett valued education and would tell her son, “I don’t want you to do the same kind of physical labor I have to do.” Annette Baskett was always invested in his education and wanted her son to do more with it.

As a USC Aiken student, he kept his mother updated on everything. Baskett was happy that his mom was able to see him promoted to assistant principal in June 2016 before she died a month later. Baskett once mentioned to Bennett, the Newberry superintendent, that he aspired to become an administrator.

Bennett’s biggest piece of advice was to be selective and to find a job where he could make an impact. From Bennett, Baskett said he learned what to expect and how to be a great serving leader.

Bennett died in a car crash on April 16, 2016.

Baskett’s new position will still allow him to continue his mission of helping students become productive citizens who can enhance society.

One reason Baskett said he loves working for Lexington School District One is that its leadership is always trying to find ways to provide for the students.

The program, despite the pandemic, has been running smoothly, Baskett said, but it did face some challenges. One of the big challenges was recruitment as the pandemic made it difficult to recruit eighth graders.

Baskett’s ideal method of recruitment was simply to visit the middle schools to talk with the eighth graders about the college center and even host family nights to generate interest in the program. Baskett was able to recruit students through school counselors at the district’s middle schools.

One of the most important resources for the program is a college and career framework program called AVID, which stands for Advancement via Individual Determination. In the classes that use AVID, students are improving their writing, inquiry, collaboration, organization and reading skills.

Baskett said the program has allowed students to meet peers from other schools, allowing them to foster friendships and develop support groups as they complete honors classes.

The new semester for students already in the program started on Jan. 19, 2021, and recruitment is underway for the 2021-2022 academic year.

This story was originally published January 29, 2021 at 11:25 AM.