This the last part in a 3 part series.

John de la Howe School was long a beacon of hope for orphans. 
In its fields, forests, cottages, and classrooms children found an education and a home.
The doctor’s “agricultural seminary” long served children in need, and in turn served society as well. 
Few know much about this school. It has stone buildings any university would covet, nature trails, wilderness camps, cottages, meeting venues, a barn converted to a concert hall, and all those woods and fields. 
Think of it as a laboratory for pre-college agricultural education that’s sorely needed. 
Technology changes so fast, it just makes sense to give high school students a jump-start. 
True to John de la Howe’s vision, the school’s new mission ironically was its original mission: educate children in agriculture and mechanic arts, i.e. farming and technology. 
With the support of Gov. Henry McMaster, the S.C. Department of Agriculture and lawmakers, the school is moving ahead to develop a high school that will prepare students for careers in agriculture, forestry and land management. 
It will be the first statewide high school of its kind in the nation. This mission is important to South Carolina’s agribusiness, the state’s largest industry. 
The state Agriculture Department reports agribusiness has a $42 billion economic impact on our state each year and represents 200,000 jobs. Many of those jobs will require specialized education as agribusiness continues to go high tech. 
Creating and retooling the school will be challenging, but it’s possible.
New leadership is in place, and work will be done. 
Renovations will turn brick cottages into modern living-learning environments. 
A comprehensive curriculum will prepare students for college and careers. 
Students will gain expertise in agriculture, develop life skills, and discover how molecular biology, technology, robotics, and drones are changing today’s farms. 
They’ll attract the best teachers and students in a resource-rich, sheltered setting soaked in history. It has wilderness camps and nature trails, all within or near a protected forest, too. 
It’s a multifaceted resource that can do much to educate students intent on a career in agribusiness. 
Today’s agricultural degree sports a bold new look. Modern farmers wear coveralls, white shirts and ties. 
De la Howe’s new mission? To become a statewide, residential agricultural school for high school students—to give young students a head start on 1,310 acres of farmland, pastures, forests, residential, administration buildings, and school, an ideal laboratory for multifaceted agricultural education. 
John de la Howe sits deep in the heart of the Sumter National Forest and on the National Register of Historic Places. 
For certain, it contributes its share and more to a region rich with history. 
Its old-growth forest is a National Parks Service natural landmark, and over 160 acres surrounding Dr. John de la Howe’s tomb are forever protected. 
Go and stand by that roofless mausoleum and listen as I did. 
All you’ll hear is wind, birds, and cicadas. 
I believe the old doctor would welcome the sound of a drone high above, maybe a GPS-equipped tractor or two, too. 
They would be a welcome sign of change to the doctor’s pragmatic mission he envisioned way back in 1797—feeding mankind and turning children into responsible, accomplished members of society.