Email Braden at sctoy2025@cerra.org

Biography: For Braden Wilson, history was always a passion. However, it wasn’t until her sixth-grade social studies class that Braden fell in love with the way her teacher would “teach her shoes off,” and make history come alive.

Braden Wilson, a former Teacher Cadet at Westside High School and the 2014 Social Studies Teacher Candidate of the Year, earned a Bachelor’s in Secondary Social Studies Education as a Teaching Fellow at Anderson University. She later added middle grades certification from Clemson University, a Master’s in Teacher Leadership from Walden University (2019), and a Master’s in Administration and Supervision from Anderson University (2023). Braden has taught a wide range of social studies courses, including psychology, sociology, government, economics, law education, and various history classes, to students in grades 7–12.

Braden is in her 11th year of education and currently teaches 8th-grade social studies at Palmetto Middle School in Anderson School District One. She believes that teaching history allows students to explore their passions while understanding the world around them. By discovering their interests and creating engaging, relatable experiences, she aims to inspire every learner to leave their own unique mark on history.

In 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.

Braden can be reached at sctoy2025@cerra.org.