Shaterica Neal, a 2008 graduate of Laurens District 55 High School and a 2013 graduate of Claflin University, is running for a seat on Gray Court Town Council.
“We have the chance to add a new voice to Gray Court’s Town Council,” Neal said. “If elected, I will be the newest member to be added since 2011. In addition, I will make history by being the youngest elected council member to the town of Gray Court. I am running for Gray Court Town Council because I want to engage with community members in a new way to address and transform the longstanding conditions of Gray Court. Through the spirit of togetherness, we can move Gray Court forward.”
At Claflin University, Neal earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in politics and criminal justice studies. From there she proceeded to work locally in non-profit work, assuring high school students of low socio-economic homes that college enrollment is possible when provided with the access to pre-college enrollment services and resources. In this role, she organized college tours, college fairs, back-to-school supply drives, and started a scholarship fund, all of which benefited students at Laurens District 55 High School.
Currently, she is an Advanced Year Master of Social Work candidate at the University of South Carolina and performs community organizing work.
Shaterica Neal is graduate of the James E. Clyburn Political Fellowship. From that experience, she was hired as a field organizer for Congressman Clyburn. Neal was also selected as a member of Emerge South Carolina’s Inaugural Fellowship Class and now serves as a board member to assist the organization with recruiting, training, and inspiring Democratic women to pursue public office at local, state and national levels.
With an upbringing rooted deeply in Gray Court and the end of her studies nearing, Neal is committed to her childhood desire to serve in a capacity where she can apply her knowledge and use her network of resources to help bring her hometown community together to enhance its social and economic conditions.