Education news
Five finalists named for Beaufort County Teacher of the Year
Five classroom teachers have been named as finalists for Beaufort County’s 2025-26 District Teacher of the Year.
The finalists are Allison Gallagher, science teacher at H.E. McCracken Middle School; Elizabeth Herring, dance teacher at Bluffton High School; Audrey Kaney, fifth-grade teacher at Red Cedar Elementary School; Alison Lopes, special education teacher at Hilton Head Island Early Childhood Center; and Amy Turner, fourth-grade teacher at Coosa Elementary School.
The announcement was made before an audience of educators at the district’s annual professional development conference, held this year at Bluffton High School.
“Each of our Teacher of the Year finalists represents the very best of what it means to be an educator — passionate, dedicated, and relentlessly committed to the success of every student,” Superintendent Dr. Frank Rodriguez said. “These five exceptional teachers inspire not only their classrooms but our entire district community. We are proud to celebrate their excellence and the profound impact they make every day.”
The District Teacher of the Year will be announced this fall.
Technical College of the Lowcountry earns Gold Award for veteran support
The Technical College of the Lowcountry (TCL) has been awarded gold-level status by the South Carolina Military Academic Recognition Program, part of the S.C. Department of Veterans’ Affairs (SCDVA).
SCDVA representatives presented the award July 28 at TCL’s Military & Veterans Resource Center on the Beaufort Mather Campus. The recognition highlights colleges and universities that support service members, veterans, reservists, National Guard members and their families as they pursue academic and professional goals.
Currently, 19 percent of TCL’s student population is active military, veteran or military-affiliated.
“We are very proud of the team we have here and the work they’re doing to support our veterans,” TCL President Dr. Richard Gough said. “Veterans, their families and dependents, are a significant part of our college and our culture, so it’s important to us that we have these programs in place and that they know they are supported.”
To qualify for gold status, institutions must meet criteria such as offering a centralized location for veterans to meet or find assistance, information or career counseling. TCL began pursuing gold-level standards after earning silver designation in December 2023.
In the past year, TCL renovated and expanded its Military and Veterans Resource Center and implemented “Green Zone” training to help staff better assist military-affiliated students.
“By equipping our campus community with this knowledge, we create a network of informed allies,” said Topher Byrnes, TCL’s director of military and veterans programs.
More information on TCL’s military and veterans’ services is available at tcl.edu/military.
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