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May 1, 2026

State Treasurer Curtis Loftis Honors 23 Graduates of SC Financial Literacy Master Teacher Program

COLUMBIA, S.C.– State Treasurer Curtis Loftis is pleased to recognize the most recent

graduates of the South Carolina Financial Literacy Master Teacher Program, an innovative multi-year program designed to increase the number of teachers incorporating personal finance education in the classroom.

As part of the 37th Annual Economics and Financial Literacy Awards Luncheon in West Columbia, 23 educators from across the state were honored for their completion of the bronze, silver and gold levels of the program, which includes specialized training, classroom resources, and financial stipends to promote financial literacy education in K-12 schools.

“I am delighted to celebrate our fifth cohort of Financial Literacy Master Teachers,” stated Treasurer Loftis. “This specialized program empowers skilled educators by providing top-tier professional development and accessible teaching materials. Every year, we are inspired by how these graduates transform their training into impactful lessons that guide both students and colleagues toward smarter financial choices. We appreciate the dedication of these teachers who recognize that by enhancing their own expertise, they are helping others secure a better financial future.”

Sponsored by Future Scholar, South Carolina’s 529 College Savings Plan, and in partnership with SC Economics, the South Carolina Financial Literacy Master Teacher Program not only encourages educators to teach personal finance education in their classrooms, but also helps them hold professional development workshops for their fellow educators, increasing the number of teachers sharing financial literacy lessons across the state. To learn more, visit the SCFLMT website: scflmt.org.

The 2026 graduating class of South Carolina Financial Literacy Master Teachers:

Name	School	District
Amanda “Mandy” Hannah*	Dixie High	Abbeville County
Anna Rhyne	North Central Elementary	Kershaw County
Christine “Michelle” Graham	Fairfield Central High	Fairfield County
Crystal Banks	Abbeville High	Abbeville County
Debbie Sweat	Blythewood High	Richland Two
George Walker	Fairfield Central High	Fairfield County
Heather Gregory	Union County Career & Tech Center	Union County
Jennifer Scarmack	Low Country Virtual Academy	Berkeley County
Justin Davis	L.E. Gable Middle	Spartanburg 6
Karen Boyd	Fairfield Central High	Fairfield County
Leslie Parks*	St. James High	Horry County
Linda Dara*	Cherrydale Elementary	Greenville County
Meghan “Meg” Gardener	North Central Elementary	Kershaw County
Melanie Barker	FIVE High and Middle	Lexington Richland 5
Michael Crosby*	Sangaree Middle	Berkeley County
Nathaniel “Nate” Gilmore*	Goose Creek High	Berkeley County
Rebekah “Bekah” Watson*	A.R. Rucker Middle	Lancaster County
Sandee Oliver	St. James High	Horry County
Sharon Fleming*	Lonnie B. Nelson Elementary	Richland Two
Shonita Montford	Orangeburg County Consolidated School District	Orangeburg County
Tiffany Hutchinson	Spring Hill High School	Lexington Richland 5
Tim Ray*	Kelly Mill Middle	Richland Two
William “Bill” Joy*	Lucy Beckham High	Charleston

*Denotes a teacher who has also received Educator of the Month recognition as part of this program.

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Investing involves risk including the risk of loss of principal. Please consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. Contact your financial advisor or visit futurescholar.com for a Direct Plan Program Description, which contains this and other important information about the Future Scholar 529 College Savings Plan. Read it carefully before investing. You should also consider, before investing, whether the investor's or designated beneficiary's home state offers any state tax or other state benefits such as financial aid, scholarship funds and protection from creditors that are only available for investments in such state's qualified tuition program.

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