Upstate middle schoolers experience aerospace and automotive careers

By Mike Switzer

Published May 22, 2025 at 6:30 AM EDT

Mike Switzer, host of the South Carolina Business Review

Over the past decade, we have learned of several K-12 education programs that have attempted to introduce students to various career opportunities. Recently, we’ve come across another one, this time originating at an Upstate middle school. Mike Switzer interviews Eddie Payne, assistant principal at West-Oak Middle School in Westminster, S.C.

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Mike Switzer

After almost 20 years, Mike Switzer retired from Wells Fargo Securities in 2001 as Senior Vice President/Investment Officer and Certified Portfolio Manager. In 1999, he and his wife, Maggie, purchased and operated for eight years the Baskin Robbins ice cream store on Forest Drive in Columbia. They grew the store from a bottom-tier operation in the Baskin Robbins franchise system to one in the top 5% nationwide within three years, tripling sales along the way. While operating the ice cream store, Mike and Maggie received patents for a portable ice cream sink and fold-down sneezeguard they invented and in 2002 started Magnolia Carts, an ice cream cart manufacturing company, which they sold in 2013.

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