2025 South Carolina Teacher of the Year

And the South Carolina Teacher of the Year, 2025, goes to...

Thursday at the Governor's Mansion in Columbia, State Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver announced 2025's Teacher of the year.

Congratulations to Braden Wilson , a Social Studies teacher at Palmetto Middle School in Anderson's school district 1. Wilson has spent a decade in the education field. She was awarded $25,000 and the use of a brand new BMW while she serves as a Roving Ambassador for a year.

BMW has been the program's premier sponsor for 27 years, according to a news release,  and handed Wilson the keys to a 2024 BMW X5 xDrive40i.

Among the finalists were three other Upstate teachers who received $10,000 each.

South Carolina Department of Education press release below:
State Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver announced today at the annual South Carolina Teacher of the Year event that Braden Wilson, a social studies teacher at Palmetto Middle School in Anderson School District One, is the 2025 South Carolina Teacher of the Year.

“Braden’s infectious passion for making history come alive for her eighth graders at Palmetto Middle School is truly inspiring,” said Superintendent Weaver. “We are thrilled to celebrate her dedication to developing the next generation of civic-literate South Carolinians and look forward to the impact Braden will make as South Carolina’s Teacher of the Year serving as an ambassador for our state’s 64,000 educators.”

Wilson teaches eighth grade social studies at Palmetto Middle School and is currently in her 10th year working in education. She believes teaching children history provides them with an opportunity to explore what they love while making sense of the world around them. Wilson discovers student interests and cultivates experiences that make history engaging and relatable for every learner, hoping to inspire students to make their own unique mark on history.

Prior to starting her teaching career, Wilson was a Teaching Fellow at Anderson University, where she was the Social Studies Teacher Candidate of the Year. She has a Master’s degree in Teacher Leadership from Walden University, as well as a Master’s degree in Administration and Supervision from Anderson University.

As part of the state Teacher of the Year awards program, Wilson will receive $25,000, a brand-new BMW for one year, and professional development opportunities.

Considered one of the country's strongest, the South Carolina Teacher of the Year program celebrates excellence and strengthens the teaching force by honoring and recognizing exceptional teachers on a district, state, and national level. These awards not only assist in retention efforts but serve as a powerful recruitment tool.

The South Carolina Teacher of the Year serves for one school year as a roving ambassador providing mentoring, attending speaking engagements, working with teacher cadets and teaching fellows, leading the State Teacher Forum, and serving as the state spokesperson for over 64,000 educators.

You can watch the full event here.