South Carolina Treasurer Curtis Loftis has recognized Dowanda Bryant of Hopkins Middle School as the September Educator of the Month for the South Carolina Financial Literacy Master Teacher-Program, an initiative Loftis established to expand the number of educators teaching personal finance education across the state.
“I love hearing how our master teachers like Dowanda Bryant use their own experiences to help bridge lessons and understanding among their students. For too long we discouraged people from talking about money in public,” Treasurer Loftis said. “I believe by sharing these important life skills about saving, building credit, living within our means and investing for the future, we are providing students with the building blocks for a better financial future.”
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.
After a successful career as a counselor and career coach, Dowanda transitioned into her teaching career. She teaches Career Technical Education classes at Hopkins Middle School in Richland One School District. Her classes include financial literacy and Introduction to Career Clusters. In addition, she is an online college instructor teaching career pathways and financial fitness. Dowanda earned her Bachelor of Science degree in organizational management and two Master of Arts degrees, one in management and leadership and the other in information technology. She further plans to pursue a doctorate degree in educational leadership in the very near future.
“I am passionate about teaching financial literacy and helping middle, high school and college students identify potential career paths. I enjoy using interactive, relevant, engaging resources, and content with my students in hopes I can stimulate their creative and critical thinking about these matters,” Bryant explained.
