Tamela K. Watkins 507 Crowfield Lane, Mt.

Pleasant, SC 29464 843-670-0921

Jan. 28, 2022

To Whom It May Concern:

The first time I ever met Millie Rice, she was an independent toddler whose vivacious
personality and sparkles of wit and intelligence set her apart from most youngsters that you meet
for the first time. Fortunately, she has maintained those early attributes, and I can truly say that
Millie has matured into one of the most exceptional young women I’ve ever been associated with
in my 35 years of teaching. I am pleased to recommend her for the S.C. Journalist of the Year
Award.

Although I never had the pleasure of teaching Millie in an academic setting, I know her very well
as both a student and an individual. We lived on the same street for many years, so I had the
pleasure of watching her grow from a three year old knocking on my door asking to play with
my cat to an assured freshman going into high school, eager for new challenges. I was fortunate
to get to “give her a ride” to school each day for the first two years of her high school career. I
found her to be an incredibly dedicated student who loves to challenge herself in a variety of
subjects, including many Advanced Placement classes. Even as a freshman, she was mature,
making thoughtful comments about world events and lessons she was learning in school,
including teaching me about new ideas she was encountering. I loved our discussions about
current events as we drove to school each day. She made me laugh, but she also made me think
with her eloquent comments as well as her general excitement about new ideas. She also showed
her capacity for leadership by becoming very involved with the Wando Student Council, actively
seeking out responsibilities and participating in many events.

Millie became involved in student journalism her freshman year when she took Journalism I.
(It’s a family thing – her eldest brother served as co-editor in chief of the award-winning Tribal
Tribune newspaper staff.) But the big question came up at the end of the year: was Millie going
to join the Tribal Tribune, or was she going to become a member of the Legend, Wando’s
yearbook staff? I will be honest; I lobbied hard for newspaper. I already saw her incredible
potential as well as her phenomenal work ethic. Ultimately, she chose the Legend, which has
been an outstanding decision for her. She showed such remarkable promise her sophomore year
that she quickly became the staff’s leading sports writer, also assuming copy-editing duties. Her
junior year, she was named a section editor, and this year as a senior, she is part of the Editor in
Chief triumvirate. I knew her talent would shine in this forum, and it certainly has.

Millie has an incredible work ethic, and it has served her well as a tri-editor in chief for the
Legend. She writes with passion and maturity, and she is an incredibly strong copy editor. Her
devotion to student journalism allows her to recognize the importance of not just doing the big
jobs, but of serving her staff by doing the small jobs as well. She leads by example – she will
take on any task that needs to be done. Her ability to work well with others and motivate them to
achieve to their highest potential is evident in how she works with her staff. She shows
tremendous enthusiasm and a true belief in the importance of student journalism.
Millie’s time on the yearbook staff has seen the Legend continue to excel. She has helped lead
the staff to numerous state and regional awards, including the Scroggins Award in 2021, as well
as a nomination for a Pacemaker from National Scholastic Press Association in 2022. She also
has won awards individually for her writing, all part of the process of maintaining the level of
excellence she sets for herself.

Yet besides her leadership and journalistic abilities, one of the most impressive aspects about
Millie is her compassion and concern for others. She is a sweet and highly thought of by both
students and faculty, and she truly is concerned about the world around her.

What a pleasure it has been to see Millie grow up to be such a dedicated, incredible young
woman whose talent for and love of scholastic journalism has blossomed. It is my honor to
enthusiastically recommend her for S.C. Journalist of the Year.

Sincerely,

Tamela K. Watkins
Retired Wando High School
English teacher and newspaper adviser