Miranda Grice, a speech-language pathologist at Lexington County School District Four’s Early Childhood Center, has been named a South Carolina Teacher of the Year finalist. Grice is one of five teachers across South Carolina to receive this honor.

S.C. Superintendent Ellen Weaver along with Principal Sonya Harrison-Young, Lexington Four Superintendent Justin Nutter and school board members Cindy Dibble, Lynne Fallaw and Sadie Wannamaker were present to surprise Grice during the school day on March 7.

“I can’t express how proud I am of not only our school but our district,” Grice said when speaking to Weaver. “The Early Childhood Center is a wonderful place to work and we are teaching 3K, 4K and 5K students and getting them ready for their education throughout the Lexington Four district.”

Grice received $10,000 from the S.C. Department of Education for being one of the finalists.

Grice graduated from Swansea High School and earned her bachelor’s degree in speech-language pathology from Columbia College. She then received her master’s from the University of South Carolina. Grice explained the reason she became a speech-language pathologist is because communication is the foundation of everyone’s cognition.

Superintendent Nutter said Lexington Four is fortunate to have Grice in the district and as a leader.

“She consistently demonstrates exceptional leadership within her school and our district, fostering an environment where collaboration and excellence thrive," he said. “Her dedication to supporting every student and her quest for continuous improvement make her an invaluable asset to our community.”

Grice will move on to the next stage of the competition where she will be interviewed by a panel of judges. The winner will receive a total of $25,000 and will be given a BMW for one year as they serve as a roving ambassador. As a roving ambassador, the winner will attend events, provide mentoring, work with teacher cadets and fellows and become the state spokesperson during the State Teacher Forum.

The winner will be announced on April 24 in Columbia.