State Treasurer Curtis Loftis Recognizes William Joy of Lucky Beckham High as Educator of the Month
March 26, 2026
Charleston educator promotes his passion for personal finance education beyond the classroom
COLUMBIA, S.C. (March 27, 2026) – South Carolina Treasurer Curtis Loftis has recognized William Joy of Lucy Beckham High School as the March Educator of the Month for the South Carolina Financial Literacy Master Teacher Program, an initiative Loftis established to expand the number of educators teaching personal finance education across the state.
“I share William Joy’s passion for teaching our young people about the importance of personal finance because I have seen the consequences of not managing one’s finances well and how that can cause serious roadblocks in people’s lives,” Treasurer Loftis said. “I am grateful that he is championing the financial literacy cause beyond his classroom to engage other teachers within his district and throughout the state.”
The South Carolina Financial Literacy Master Teacher Program provides financial incentives to K-12 teachers who are experts in personal finance education and have a passion to share this knowledge with their peers. Since 2020, this ground-breaking program has provided specialized training and free personal finance curriculum resources that better enable them to promote financial literacy education in K-12 schools. It is sponsored by Future Scholar, South Carolina’s 529 College Savings Plan, and in partnership with SC Economics.
Prior to becoming a teacher, William Joy enjoyed an extraordinary career in business marketing and entrepreneurship that included working with major international brands and owning a successful music education franchise. Joy relocated to Charleston to be close to his parents and decided it was time to use his talents to help others. His teaching journey began at Lucy Beckham High School, where he teaches business education classes. He’s attained various professional certifications and named a Distinguished Educator by Next Generation Personal Finance. Joy also served on the state standards committee for personal finance and was recently named as a Teacher Fellow for the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE).
“After 23 years in corporate marketing, I decided to become a teacher to make a difference and try to leave a bit of a legacy. What better way to do this than teaching a personal finance class to 10th graders,” Joy explained. “I often felt these type of topics needed to be address in high school and was grateful to find a variety resources available to help teachers like me prepare students for the financial decisions they will face throughout their lives.”
About Future Scholar
Future Scholar, South Carolina’s 529 College Savings Plan, is administered through the State Treasurer’s Office. Recent changes at the federal level have expanded the number of qualified uses for 529 funds, making it even more flexible for families to support a lifetime of learning. For more information, visit FutureScholar.com or follow @SCStateTreasurer on Facebook. Future Scholar is self-supported and does not receive taxpayer funding.
