The Brookland-Cayce High School Education Foundation will host the 23rd annual Brookland-Cayce High School Educator Hall of Fame and Alumni Wall of Honor Gala on Thursday, Feb. 6.

This year, longtime Brookland-Cayce High School teacher Beth Cleland will be inducted into the Educator Hall of Fame, while the Honorable Nikki Setzler, the longest-serving senator in South Carolina history, will become a member of the Alumni Wall of Fame.

Mrs. Cleland served over 28 years in education,  teaching at Brookland-Cayce High School from 1982-1991 and 1994-2014.  She was certified to teach AP Government and Economics and served as a coaching teacher. She was a longtime volleyball coach at Brookland-Cayce, finishing in 2006-2007 as 3A state champion runner-up, and was selected as a Volleyball Coach of the Year. She also coached softball for four years. She was a member of Alpha Delta Kappa, served on the School Improvement Data Team and the SC Department of Educational Instructional Materials Review Panel, and formed a lunchtime grief group for students as a safe place to share their experiences. She and her husband have attended Our Savior Lutheran for the past 41 years, participating in the choir, church council, and tellers.

Senator Setzler is a 1963 graduate of Brookland-Cayce High School, where he was the school’s first male cheerleader. a member of the Yearbook Staff and Booster Club, and participated in track.  He graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1968 and the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1971. He founded his own law office in 1973, where he continues to practice today as Setzler and Scott in West Columbia. He was first elected to the South Carolina Senate in 1976, holding various roles over 47 years of service, including as chair of the Senate Education Committee (1988-2000) and as Minority Leader of the Senate Democratic Caucus for eight years. He and his wife, Ada Jane Taylor, who have four daughters, are strong advocates for children and education. Among his community involvement, he has served with the West Metro Chamber of Commerce, Cayce West Columbia Lions Club, and the Lexington County Development Corporation.

The February 6 gala recognizing Mrs. Cleland and Senator Setzler will begin at 6 p.m. at Seawell’s in Columbia. Tickets may be purchased on the Brookland Cayce High School Education Foundation website at https://www.bchsef.org