The Lexington County School District 3 teacher of the year for the current school year is busy molding young minds at Batesburg-Leesville Elementary School in addition to molding the minds of her three young children at home.

Shiniqua Mays is the 2023-2024 teacher of the year for the district.

Lexington Three is one of the smaller school districts in Lexington County, serving just the Batesburg-Leesville area.

Mays said she became a teacher to have an impact on the world around us.

“My ‘why’ is to make a difference in my students so they can make a difference in the world. Knowing that I am helping shape, change and nurture the future generations is exceptionally rewarding,” she said.

Mays has been teaching at Batesburg-Leesville Elementary for eight years overall. She teaches English and social studies to fifth graders.

She was awarded the district’s teacher of the year at a ceremony last year where the other three finalists were also acknowledged. The other finalists include Gracyn Livingston from Batesburg-Leesville Primary School, Jennifer Connelly from Batesburg-Leesville Middle School and Alex Richardson from Batesburg-Leesville High School.

Mays represented Lexington County School District 3 in the state’s teacher of the year competition. The state teacher of the year finalists have already been selected with five finalists vying for the state title.