Bio
For Braden Wilson, history was always a passion. However, it wasn’t until her sixth grade social studies class that she knew that she wanted to become a teacher. Braden fell in love with the way her teacher would “teach her shoes off,” and make history come alive. This drive to teach was cemented by later school experiences filled with worksheets and open-note tests. As Braden saw her peers zone out in their desks, she knew she could make them love history as much as she did if she was their teacher.
Braden Wilson was a Teacher Cadet at Westside High school before attending Anderson University as a Teaching Fellow, where she was named the 2014 Social Studies Teacher Candidate of the Year. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Social Studies Education from Anderson University, as well as middle grades certification from Clemson University. In 2019, she obtained a Master’s degree in Teacher Leadership from Walden University. She also holds a Master’s degree in Administration and Supervision from Anderson University, which she received in 2023. In the classroom, she has taught a variety of social studies courses, including psychology, sociology, government, economics, law education, and a multitude of history courses to students ranging from 7th through 12th grade.
Braden resides in Belton, SC with her husband, Johnny, and two children, Calhoun and Harvey Mae. Braden is now in her eleventh year of education, and had been teaching 8th grade social studies at Palmetto Middle School in Anderson School District One. She believes teaching children history provides them with an opportunity to explore what they love while making sense of the world around them. She discovers student interests and cultivates experiences that make history engaging and relatable for every kind of learner- hoping to inspire students to make their own unique mark on history. Fostering responsible, productive citizens that make positive contributions to society (and future history books!) will always be the greatest accomplishment of her career.
Spring 2024, Braden Wilson was named South Carolina Teacher of the Year at a “Gala in the Garden” on the grounds of the Governor's Mansion. Braden officially started her one-year residency with CERRA on August 1st. In this role, she serves as an ambassador for the teaching profession and chair of the state's Teacher Forum. The Teacher of the Year program celebrates excellence and strengthens the teaching force by honoring and recognizing exceptional teachers on the district, state, and national levels. The Teacher of the Year Awards not only assist in retention efforts but serve as a powerful recruitment tool to the educator profession.
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