State Treasurer Curtis Loftis Recognizes Rebekah Watson of A.R. Rucker Middle as Educator of the Month

Lancaster County educator uses reading and storytelling to convey personal finance lessons to her students. 

COLUMBIA, S.C. (November 21, 2025) – South Carolina Treasurer Curtis Loftis has recognized Rebekah Watson of A.R. Rucker Middle School as the November Educator of the Month for the South Carolina Financial Literacy Master Teacher Program, an initiative Loftis created to increase the number of K-12 educators teaching personal finance education across the state.

“I am grateful to educators like Rebekah Watson who uses reading and storytelling to share messages with her middle school students about ways to manage one’s finances,” Treasurer Loftis said. “By challenging teachers in all subject areas to reinforce these important financial behaviors and concepts, we are preparing our next generation of community member and leaders with the tools they’ll need to succeed. It’s my hope that by making sound financial decisions they will embrace its benefits and avoid the pitfalls that have hampered so many in our state.” 

The South Carolina Financial Literacy Master Teacher Program provides financial incentives to K-12 teachers who are experts in personal finance education and have a passion to share this knowledge with their peers. Since 2020, this ground-breaking program has provided specialized training and free personal finance curriculum resources that better enable them to promote financial literacy education in K-12 schools. It is sponsored by Future Scholar, South Carolina’s 529 College Savings Plan, and in partnership with SC Economics.

A Kershaw native, Rebekah Watson began her career as an elementary teacher at various schools in Chesterfield and Lancaster Counties. She became a reading coach while at Heath Spring Elementary which allowed her to help students enhance their reading and writing skills while including lessons that strengthened their financial knowledge. Watson recently completed her second master’s degree, this one in library and information science and now serves as a media specialist at A.R. Rucker Middle School. She continues to champion financial literacy by sharing her knowledge with district and state librarians as she believes it is essential to teach personal finance skills at all grade levels. 

 “I cannot remember learning about the importance of saving money or using money while I was a student in elementary, middle or high school. Today’s students need to know how to manage and save their money so that when they graduate from high school, they will be ready to tackle the world that awaits them. Financial literacy is so important in the world we live in today,” Watson said.

 About Future Scholar

Future Scholar, South Carolina’s 529 College Savings Plan, is administered through the State Treasurer’s Office. Recent changes at the federal level have expanded the number of qualified uses for 529 funds, making it even more flexible for families to support a lifetime of learning.  For more information, visit FutureScholar.com or follow @SCStateTreasurer on Facebook. Future Scholar is self-supported and does not receive taxpayer funding.