State Treasurer Curtis Loftis Recognizes Warren Wise of Kelly Mill Middle School as Educator of the Month

Mr. Warren Wise of Kelly Mill Middle School, January Educator of the Month

South Carolina Treasurer Curtis Loftis has recognized Richland County School District Two’s Warren Wise of Kelly Mill Middle School in Blythewood as the South Carolina Financial Literacy Master Teacher Program’s Educator of the Month for January.

“Helping students create strong financial habits and teaching them to avoid financial pitfalls are cornerstones of our Financial Literacy Master Teacher Program,” said State Treasurer Curtis Loftis. “Outstanding teachers like Warren Wise empower students by preparing them to navigate the economic opportunities and challenges of the real world.”

An accomplished educator, Wise has received numerous accolades during his 19 years as a classroom teacher, covering subjects as diverse as biology, chemistry and physics to introductory engineering and cybersecurity. A member of the Center for Disease Control’s Science Ambassador Program, Wise has also been recognized as STEM Education of the Year and received the NCAAP’s Presidential Citation Award in Education Advocacy. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Physics from Benedict College, a Master’s in Educational Technology from Boise State University and an Education Specialist degree from Liberty University. In addition, Wise has served his country in the U.S. Army Reserves as a Chemical Operations Specialist, acquiring the rank of Sergeant.

“Becoming a Financial Literacy Master Teacher was important to me because it gives me a chance to give underserved students a jumpstart in life by instilling the importance of strong financial habits such as budgeting, saving and spending wisely,” said Wise. “Students need to know how to make pragmatic decisions that can help them build wealth. I want my students to think critically for themselves about money and investing.”

The South Carolina Financial Literacy Master Teacher Program provides incentives to K-12 teachers who are experts in the area of financial literacy and have a desire to teach professional development workshops to other educators in their schools and districts. Through the program participating teachers have access to specialized training and financial literacy curriculum resources that better enable them to promote financial literacy education in K-12 schools.

Sponsored by Future Scholar, South Carolina’s 529 College Savings Plan, and in partnership with SC Economics, this statewide financial literacy initiative aims to increase teacher support and involvement in incorporating personal finance education into the curriculum.

About Future Scholar
Future Scholar, South Carolina’s 529 College Savings Plan, is administered through the State Treasurer’s Office. For more information, visit FutureScholar.com or follow @SCStateTreasurer on Facebook. Future Scholar is self-supported and does not receive taxpayer funding.