Horry County Schools names 2025 Rookie Teacher of the Year winner

Caleb McCusker
·1 min read

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — Horry County Schools on Tuesday named its 2025 Rookie Teacher of the Year.

Liz Whaley, a fourth-grade teacher at Socastee Elementary School was named the winner, the district said. She was one of six finalists.

The finalists were announced on April 23. The list includes De’Asia Linnen of Aynor Elementary School, Zachary Lane of Conway High School, Tristan Moffitt of Socastee Middle School, Renea Urbaniak of Socastee High School and Candace Johnson of Whittemore Park Middle School.

The Rookie Teacher of the Year program is designed to recognize and celebrate teachers within the first three years of their careers and improve teacher retention by celebrating success early in their careers, according to the district.

* * *

Caleb is a digital producer at News13. Caleb joined the team in January 2023 after graduating from Liberty University. He is from Northern Virginia. Follow Caleb on X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW.