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ROCK HILL — What seemingly started as an assembly to celebrate a school’s academic success turned into the surprise reveal of a national honor and the awarding of a $25,000 check to a South Carolina educator on Dec. 9.

Erica McCray, elementary school principal at Riverwalk Academy, a public charter school in Rock Hill, was the state’s sole educator selected to receive the national Milken Educator Award this year.

Created by philanthropist Lowell Milken in 1987, the Milken Educator Awards recognizes early-to-mid-career educators who are unaware of their candidacy until the prize is awarded.

A total of 30 educators across the U.S. will be recognized for their contributions to the K-12 teaching profession during the 2025-26 awards season.

Joined by S.C. Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver and Chris Neeley, superintendent of the S.C. Public Charter School District, the award was presented by Joshua Barnett, representing the Milken Family Foundation as CEO of the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching.

The accolade is not a lifetime achievement award, Barnett explained, rather a recognition of the work McCray has done and will continue in the future.

McCray soaked in the moment with her son, Caiden, a sixth grade student at Riverwalk Academy, by her side.

“It’s special,” McCray said. “I know I am not the only educator that’s working hard, and so it is special to know that I’m being recognized for this but I also want to take the time to recognize that there are other educators out there who are doing great things as well.”

McCray is the state’s 65th recipient of the Milken Educator Award since South Carolina joined the initiative in 1994.

Addressing the students, Weaver touted the importance of great principals, like McCray, in building a positive school culture.

“Whenever I talk to teachers from around the state of South Carolina, you know what they tell me?” Weaver said. “That what keeps them in the classroom is their love of the students that they serve and the fact that their school leader has their back, that high expectations paired with high support is the kind of leadership that creates a thriving school where you can feel this kind of joy and energy when you walk into this room.”

McCray, whose career in education began in 2008, started at Riverwalk Academy as a kindergarten and first grade teacher in 2014, the year the school opened.

From there, she quickly worked her way up to be a literacy coach, followed by assistant principal, and finally, she was named elementary school principal in 2018.

“We’re a family,” McCray said of Riverwalk Academy. “I love that our students, they know that no matter what we are there for them. We are a small school, so we know our students. We know when they need us. I feel like it is our students’ home away from home.”

McCray, along with other 2025-26 Milken Educator Award honorees, will attend an all-expenses paid Milken Educator Awards Forum in Washington, D.C., from June 12-14, 2026, to network and further develop their skills as education leaders.

Elementary level Principal Erica McCray thought the first ever gathering of Riverwalk Academy’s student body was scheduled to celebrate the Rock Hill charter school students for high marks on their report cards. It turns out, students were there to celebrate her.

McCray won a national award Tuesday afternoon that’s billed as the “Oscars of Teaching” by the group that gives it, along with a $25,000 prize and a trip to Washington, D.C.

“We just don’t think educators get enough recognition and celebration,” said National Institute for Excellence in Teaching CEO Joshua Barnett, who presented McCray with a Milken Educator Award.

California philanthropist and education advocate Lowell Milken founded the Milken Educator Awards program in 1987. By the end of this school year it will have awarded more than $76 million in individual prizes and $146 million for its national network of teachers.

The program gives $25,000 awards meant primarily for early- to mid-career educators. Teachers, principals and specialists working in K-12 schools are eligible.

They become candidates through a confidential process that ends with a panel review of experts appointed by state education departments. Educators aren’t told they are candidates until surprise ceremonies reveal they’ve won.

“You can’t apply for this award,” Barnett said. “Your work has to speak so loud day after day that they hear about it across Riverwalk Academy, across the association, across the state and all the way across the nation, that we hear about it.”

McCray is one of 30 recipients nationwide this school year, and the only one from South Carolina. The state has had 65 recipients since it joined the Milken Educator Awards program in 1994.

North Carolina has 58 all-time winners, including Pittsboro Elementary School teacher Shane Henderson this year.

Principal focuses on Riverwalk students

McCray began teaching in 2008, and came to Riverwalk Academy when it opened in 2014. Riverwalk is a K-12 charter school that has nearly 800 students, and is part of the South Carolina Public Charter School District.

Her career started with preschool students and moved to lower grades. McCray developed a love for teaching students to read, working as a literacy coach before becoming elementary school principal.

“My love for the classroom, it never went away,” she said. “That is what drives me.”

Riverwalk Academy elementary students outperformed state proficiency averages in English language arts and math in recent testing, state Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver said at the school assembly. Riverwalk nearly met an ambitious statewide reading mark goal too, she said.

“That doesn’t happen by accident,” Weaver said. “That starts with amazing teachers.”

The school consistently has had an annual teacher retention rate of 90% or higher. High expectations and support are key to creating thriving schools like Riverwalk, Weaver said. “We have to acknowledge that it is great principals that help build great school culture,” she said.

Importance of teaching professionals

McCray took a moment to collect herself, with her arm around sixth-grade son Caiden as students cheered in the church gym across the street from Riverwalk Academy. She also shared the news with daughter Caitlyn, who is a senior.

McCray hadn’t thought about who she would tell or how she’d spend the money, given she’d only found out about the award moments earlier. But she knew why she was there, and why she is so passionate about teaching students.

“I do it because I want to be able to make a difference,” McCray said. “I want to have a lasting impact.”

Teachers are some of the most important people in society, Barnett said. The $25,000 award is fitting to recognize professionals who don’t get Emmys, Nobel Prizes or other well-known awards to honor top performers, he said.

“We’re very quick to recognize excellence in other industries,” Barnett said. “Isn’t it strange that the one profession that supports and prepares all these other professions often is not as well recognized?”

A first-year public school teacher in South Carolina makes a minimum of $48,500 this year, though that amount can be higher based on school district and advanced degrees.

McCray offers a simple message for the thousands of teachers across the region who do the best they can for their students, but are unlikely to get a day like she did on Tuesday.

“Keep doing what you do,” McCray said. “Someone is noticing it. They may not say it, but what you are doing matters.”

After years of falling short, coach Bobby Collins and the South Pointe Stallions have the chance to win the program’s eighth state football championship.

South Pointe (13-1) is fresh off a 40-0 victory over Westside in the regional final. Last season, the Rams were South Pointe’s nemesis, knocking them out of the playoffs. While Collins isn’t viewing the win as revenge, he did admit it felt nice to win in the manner they did.

“Yeah, that win felt good,” Collins said. “But after the game you kind of felt a sense on the field that they guys knew they weren’t done yet. This is what we have been working toward since January. We are excited for the guys. This is my fourth year, so these seniors came in with me when I got here. It is a great opportunity for them. We just have to stick to the game plan and the things we’ve been doing.”

South Pointe will face South Florence (13-1) in the SCHSL 4A title game at noon Saturday. These two teams have a familiar opponent in Northwestern, which is competing on Friday night for the 5A Division II championship. South Pointe mounted a comeback in the fourth quarter to beat its crosstown foe. The Bruins, however, fell 55-35 to the Trojans.

“The last four years, they have been in four state championships,” Collins said of the Bruins. “So this isn’t their first go-round and coach (Drew) Marlow does a great job all season with his guys in the weight room. I think the team that is able to win the battle of physicality on offense and defense is going to be the team that wins. They are solid on all fronts, and we are going to have to be at our best, no question about it.”

Stallions standout J’Zavien Currence has been on a tear throughout the playoffs as he has all season. He plays quarterback and defensive back for South Pointe and excels at both. He leads the team in interceptions this season with four and leads the team in rushing yards at just over 109 yards per game. Collins joked that having a player like that makes coaching a lot easier.

“The biggest thing with J’Zavien is just how humble he is,” Collins said. “He goes out there and does whatever we need him to do. He is always doing the things that others aren’t willing to do and he is our leader. It is as simple as that. He is our leader, playing both sides of the ball and doing things the right way. He doesn’t go out there and look for shortcuts. It’s great when you have a player like that, but that is also just a great human being. Then he gets a chance to play for a state championship. I am happy for him.”

To Collins’ point about Currence’s humility, when asked what has been clicking for him this season, Currence quickly credited his teammates.

“This feels great for the guys who work so hard all season,” Currence said. “The blood, sweat and tears that go into a season like this. It is special. It is nice to be close to seeing the fruits of our labor. We have been working hard since January. Well, we have been working really since we lost 35-14 to Westside last year. We always knew the goal was a state championship, so now we are here, it is time to finish the job.”

Since Collins took over in 2022, the Stallions had two years going 8-4, went 11-3 last season and now are 13-1 playing for Collins’ first state title with the Stallions. Collins doesn’t want to focus on himself, but rather said it feels good to know he and his staff have put together a winning culture that has gotten the Stallions back to competing for state championships.

“It’s exciting,” Collins said. “I haven’t stopped to smell the roses. I just love the process. I told the kids today that the next time they load the team buses it will be to go to Orangeburg to play for a state title. So, yes, it’s exciting for me, but really I am just excited for my players. Like, I am a fan on Friday nights to see all the work these guys put in, and I get to coach them and see their success. That is what it is all about. I say it all the time, but nobody works as hard as we do in the offseason, now the kids get to see the fruits of their labor. It is on us to finish strong.”

Every year in Rock Hill, Santa Claus makes his debut a little early.

He’ll be in the Christmas parade Friday at 6:30 p.m., but his first stop is the opening ceremony of ChristmasVille, where snow falls even in warm weather.

The Rock Hill RockHettes will high-kick to celebratory holiday tunes and students with Showtime Theatre will perform skits and songs with Santa at the opening ceremony, which is 6 p.m. to 7 pm. on Thursday at 300 East Main St. in Rock Hill. After the show, Santa will help launch a flurry of fake snow into the sky with a snow machine.

Downtown Rock Hill will glow with twinkle lights as ChristmasVille events are expected to draw tens of thousands of people to the heart of the city. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the festival and includes nearly 100 events, from gingerbread house and LEGO displays to historic trolley tours and a vendor market.

The annual four-day festival will be Thursday-Sunday.

“It is a well-loved community event,” ChristmasVille chairperson Maddie Ewing said. “It takes a village and Rock Hill shows up year after year.”

The festival also celebrates artist Vernon Grant and his gnomes, which are artfully displayed on the side of the York County Library in Rock Hill. Grant is famously known for his Snap, Crackle and Pop cartoon mascots of Rice Krispies, and Santa with his gnomes.

Ewing said the 2024 event drew about 70,000 people and organizers are expecting to draw nearly 80,000 people to this year’s event.

To celebrate this year’s anniversary, festival-goers in their best formal wear can experience 20th and Main, an event with cocktails, chef-inspired food, live symphony music and other entertainment at The Gathering Space, Elsie’s and Kounter.

The event is Thursday from 7 to 11 p.m. Ticket prices start at $175 a person.

Also new this year is North Pole Nights, an “after dark” event Saturday for adults ages 21 and over. The event will include a cooking demonstration, wine sampling, crafts, mocktails, games, speed dating, line dancing and cigar rolling. The event will be 6:30-10 p.m.

Some events at North Pole Nights are free and others require ChristmasVille tokens purchased on site.

On Saturday, ChristmasVille is partnering with The Joyful Noise Project to bring caroling to Main Street. Festival-goers can join Santa for the Jingle Bell Parade for a stroll down Main Street and a chance to break the state record for the biggest crowd of carolers. Drones will fly overhead to count participants. The event will be at 2 p.m.

Sunday’s draw is the Jingle Shells Oyster Roast — a beach-inspired oyster feast that will include live music and drinks on Caldwell Street from 1-3 p.m. Tickets are $75 a person.

Visit christmasvillerockhill.com to see all the events and to purchase tickets.

ROCK HILL — As temperatures drop in Rock Hill, holiday spirits soar as locals anticipate the 20th anniversary of ChristmasVille.

Paying homage to artist Vernon Grant and the power of community, the 2025 festival theme is “A Legacy Made with Magic.”

“For 20 years, ChristmasVille has woven a legacy of joy, wonder, and festive cheer, built on the magic of community, tradition, and the spirit of the season,” the ChristmasVille website reads. “This isn’t just a festival — it’s a living story, where each year adds a new chapter filled with sparkling lights, laughter, and unforgettable memories.”

Much more than fluorescent lighting, milk and cookies and Santa’s sleigh bells, the four-day festival is about spreading Christmas cheer to families and thousands of friends who gather in Rock Hill.

From humble beginnings in 2006, ChristmasVille has become one of the area’s most famous celebrations, said Maddie Ewing, festival chair.

“The first ceremonies were held on the back of a truck,“ Ewing said. “Just a few people who believed in the magic of our people and community.”

ChristmasVille founder Candy Clapp envisioned a vintage, Victorian approach to Christmas. It didn’t take long for her dreams to come alive in ways she never imagined possible.

“What ChristmasVille has that many holiday festivals don’t is the spark of the people,” Ewing said.

Event sponsors and members wore top hats and suits, long dresses with shawls and even caroled through downtown spreading happiness to those celebrating during the early days of ChristmasVille.

Though the attire is more modern now, the holiday spirit is the same, and plenty of traditions from the first years remain — horse-drawn carriage rides, Rockette dancers, Santa’s workshop, the Christmas parade, and of course, carolers.

The celebration continues to evolve, adding new events like ChristmasVille After Dark, a lineup of events geared toward adults attending the festival by themselves or with family. It includes Taste of ChristmasVille, a sampling of food from local restaurants, the ChristmasVille Classic glow-in-the-dark disc golf tournament and North Pole Nights, where “curated holiday experiences, creative sips, and festive energy come together for one unforgettable evening.”

As much as ChristmasVille is about Rock Hill residents, it’s serves as an excellent way to showcase local businesses.

Many business owners tell Ewing they bring in more revenue during the brief Christmas season than they do over the summer.

What began in December 2006 spread joy and honor Grant’s artwork created a new tradition in Rock Hill — one that’s lasted two decades and is sure to stick around for many more.