by ANNA BROWN

(Fifth in a series)

USC-Union holds a special place in the hearts of Terry and Beth Crocker Comer.

It’s the place where they earned their first two years of college credit and it’s the place they met. The first time they noticed each other was when they and other students were standing in front of the college watching the Union Christmas parade.

Today, the Matthews, N.C., couple credits the school with being a big part of the success they have enjoyed in life. They said they don’t agree with Gov. Mark Sanford’s plan to close the school and two other USC branches as part of the way to balance the state budget.

“It has afforded some people who could never do it the ability to go to college,” said Terry, 57, a partner in Polytech Electrical Sales. “It is better for South Carolina’s economy and South Carolina as a whole to keep it open. It sure helped us. We have gone a lot further than we ever thought possible.”

Beth, a Union native, graduated from Union High School in 1970 and earned an associate’s degree from USC-Union in 1972. She began her course work in business and eventually switched to education, earning a degree in elementary education from USC- Columbia. She also holds a master’s from Winthrop University. She taught school for 29 years. Five years ago she went to work for McGraw-Hill Publishing Company as manager for the Mid-Atlantic Region with the SRA/Wright Group. She and her husband have one daughter, Claire, an N.C. State graduate who works in the buyer program for Belk Corp. at its Charlotte corporate office.

Beth, now 56, said she never regretted her decision to begin college at home.

“It was very convenient,” she said. “At that point in my life I didn’t have a clear direction of what I wanted to major in or where I wanted to go. It was the perfect fit. I was able to live at home and begin the college experience.”

Beth said that talk of closing the school worries her.

“I’m concerned there are lots of students who will never have the opportunity to have the college experience if they have to leave home to begin classes,” she said. “It is important for many folks to stay at home and save expenses. That doesn’t make college so unaffordable and it’s going to be more difficult for families with the economy like it is.”

Terry grew up in Sharon and graduated from York High School in 1970. His brother, Arnold, had gone to USC-Union before transferring to USC-Columbia. That had worked out well and Terry decided to take that path as well.

“I thought it would be a good transition from a small high school and more economical for my parents,” said Terry, who played on the USC-Union baseball team.

Thirty-nine years later, he still recalls Dr. Allan Charles acting out soldiers marching as he taught American history.

“He made it entertaining and fun,” he said.

After earning his associate’s degree, Terry went on to the main campus in Columbia and earned a degree in business. He worked for 18 years with Duke Power before forming a company with a partner. Polytech Electrical Sales is a manufacturers representative with electrical products for the two Carolinas and Virginia.

He is glad USC-Union was there for him. He remembers the class size at USC-Union was about 25. In Columbia, there were 100 to 200 people in a class.

“Coming from a rural background and a smaller high school, it was a nice adjustment to go to Union, get the college experience and not be totally lost on a large campus,” he said. “It gave me an idea of what college would be like. It prepared me well.”