MCC teacher is finalist in ‘America’s Favorite Teacher’ contest

April 20, 2026

Spartan News is a presentation of Mason County Central School District in partnership with Mason County Press. 

SCOTTVILLE — Mason County Central High School science teacher Brianna Wise is a finalist in Reader’s Digest’s “America’s Favorite Teacher” contest.

The annual competition will award one educator a grand prize that includes $25,000, a trip to Hawaii and a school presentation by Bill Nye, known as the Science Guy.

Wise has won four rounds of the competition and is now a finalist. The winner is selected by online votes, and she is seeking support from the community.

Vote here:

“I enjoy sharing with students the experiences I’ve been able to have as an educator,” Wise said. “As an MCC graduate myself, I love showing them the cool things I’ve done that they could do someday. NASA Space Camp for Educators was never on my radar as a small-town kid, but it opened my world. Last summer, I got to go to a fossil camp in Montana, and I’ve been sharing all my learning with them. For some, it opens up the possibility that they, too, can do anything the world offers them.

“Even though I loved school as a student, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to be as I began college. Exploring my science and ELA (English language arts) classes while volunteering as a tutor helped me see that teaching was where I belonged and where I excelled. The classroom is my home. I continue to be a teacher because, for some, I know my classroom is the only place they feel at home. And if they learn some science, too, then we both win.”

Wise said if she wins the $25,000, she will invest it in her classroom and enrich her students’ learning experiences.

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