He was on his own at an early age, working a minimum wage job, eating just one meal a day. He cleaned halls and floors as a custodian. He cut grass and worked for a landscaper. He took whatever job he could get. Mr. Satterfield’s rise to be Chapin’s principal is did not take the typical route.
“I worked in a big furniture store for minimum wage. The store had a mini-cafeteria that had an all you can eat lunch for $1.75 and that was my one meal a day,” said Mike Satterfield.
Mr. Satterfield’s early life was less than ideal. He grew up in a dysfunctional family in Lake City, Florida and attended a local high school… for awhile. But many members of his family before him he dropped out before graduating. At seventeen, Satterfield left home to try and make it on his own. It was tough and he struggled, but he persevered for months.
“I worked at a truck stop, a gas station, a ticket booth, and I also did a lot of landscape work.”
One day when talking to an old high school friend, Satterfield was given the opportunity to change his life.
“My friend Steve’s mom said that if I go back to high school I could live with them for free. So I went back and finished up high school,” said Satterfield.
After high school, Satterfield got married and joined the Navy.
“I joined the Navy and worked as a Hospital Corpsman at a base off the coast of California and then moved to Jacksonville. After that I decided to go to college to become a physical therapist.”
His wife Katherine had ties to the Columbia area so with the help of the GI Bill Mr. Satterfield decided to attend USC where he earned a degree in physical education. He taught for the next 13 years then when on to graduate school for a masters degree in administration.
After college, he became the assistant principal in different grade levels and at different schools such as River Springs Elementary, Irmo Middle, and Dutch Fork High School before finally coming home to roost at CHS. And the rest… as the saying goes is history.
Soon after his arrival in 2005, Chapin became a revitalized school.
“Before he came, the school did not look good and the morale was very low. Mr. Satterfield made a garden area to make the school look nice and had parents and teachers come out and help him. It was a great way to get everyone together,” said Mrs. Bettye Boone.
His success did not stop with the amphitheater’s landscaping. Chapin has been on the rise at almost every level since with huge success in academics and extracurricular activities. For example: The graduation rate went up to 94 percent. HSAP and AP test scores also went up by over 50 percent. SAT Scores went up. HSAP and AP scores improved greatly and AP enrollment increased by 100 percent.
Chapin was recognized by U.S. News and World Report as “One of the Nation’s Best High Schools.” CHS also received the Palmetto Gold Award five years in a row and the Red Carpet Award numerous times. Chapin’s seniors were offered over eight million dollars in scholarships in 2009. CHS has produced a number of National Merit finalists, and maybe the pinnacle of all successes- being named a National Blue Ribbon School.
The State Newspaper has also recognized CHS as having one of the best athletic programs in the Midlands with nine regional team championships, 19 individual region champs, six region MVPs, 47 All-Region athletes, and six of Chapin coaches named as Region Coaches of the Year. The athletic program was named best in the state in 2008.
Fine arts programs have also received awards in art, chorus, and band. CHS performing arts students have received numerous awards at state and national competitions and the Marching Band has won several titles.
Of course, Mr. Satterfield would not take the credit for all of these successes but the fact all these things transpired under his administration is not a coincidence.
“Being principal is a rewarding job. I like seeing the students have fun, and I also like seeing Chapin get recognized, like in music, athletics and blue ribbon,” said Mr. Satterfield.
