Hartsville, S.C. – May 29, 2018  – Coker College recently awarded full-tuition Excellence in Teaching scholarships to two deserving Teachers of the Year: a M.Ed. in Literacy Studies scholarship was awarded to Tonya Woodson, a reading recovery teacher at North Vista Elementary in Florence and 2011-2012 Teacher of the Year for Lamar Elementary School, and a M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instructional Technology scholarship was awarded to Regan Moore, a science teacher at Irmo Middle School and 2017 Teacher of the Year for Irmo Middle School.

Coker’s Excellence in Teaching Scholarship is for Teachers of the Year in South Carolina who wish to further their education. Any K-12 educator who has been designated as a Teacher of the Year by their school, district, or the S.C. Department of Education is eligible for a term of graduate coursework at no cost and, each year, as many as two deserving applicants will receive a full scholarship for the entirety of their graduate program.

“I am so grateful for this wonderful opportunity that Coker has provided to its students that apply to the master's program,” says Tonya Woodson.  “I am ready to learn, grow, and dig deeper into meaningful strategies and techniques that will help me to better prepare our next generation of lifelong learners!”

Coker College offers two unique M.Ed. programs with specializations in Literacy Studies and Curriculum/Instructional Technology. Coker’s Curriculum/Instructional Technology program is an entirely online master’s program.

Lacey Rice-Serafin, Director of Graduate Admissions at Coker College says, “Coker is grateful for the excellent teachers in South Carolina and proud we can continue providing tuition assistance to distinguished educators in our state. We are proud to now have two graduate education programs that are in high demand, in addition to our undergraduate education offerings. Coker strives to be a top choice for teachers in South Carolina and beyond.”

Regan Moore says, “I am unbelievably humbled to receive this amazing scholarship.  I think I jumped up and down screaming for a solid ten minutes when I got the phone call that I won!  In all sincerity, this is truly a dream come true for me and I cannot wait to embark on this educational journey for myself and for the children of our state that I will directly impact.  It is my honor to serve the children of South Carolina and I am looking forward to sharing my love for learning with them in the years to come.”

All scholarship applicants submitted a portfolio with their biography, philosophy of teaching, and a short essay on current educational issues and trends. Portfolios are reviewed by the Wiggin's School of Education's Graduate Committee.

All cohorts are filled for 2018; the next cohort start dates are summer 2019 for both M.Ed. programs, with the scholarship applications due May 1st, 2019.  More information is available here.

For more information about Coker’s master’s programs, please visit coker.edu/admissions-aid/masters-programs.