Meet Our Principal of the Year

Melissa Pender, the current principal of Coosa Elementary School, brings over 25 years of public education experience to her role. Throughout her career, she has garnered recognition as both Teacher of the Year and Principal of the Year. Pender spent 18 years as a teacher with Beaufort County School District before transitioning to assistant principal and subsequently principal in 2019. Under her guidance, Coosa Elementary's overall school rating improved from Average in 2019 to Excellent. Furthermore, the percentage of students meeting and exceeding state standards rose significantly, culminating in Coosa Elementary being honored as a 2023 National Blue Ribbon School.

In addition to her role at Coosa Elementary, Melissa Pender has been appointed by Rep. Shannon Erickson, Chairman of the House Education and Public Works Committee, to serve on the South Carolina Education Oversight Committee (EOC) for the term spanning 2024 to 2028.

Pender earned her Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from the University of South Carolina, followed by a Master of Arts in Integration of Technology into Education from Lesley University, and a Master of Arts in Elementary Administration from the University of South Carolina. Outside of her educational duties, Mrs. Pender is a mother of three—two stepchildren and a son with her husband, Brian. She also teaches for VirtualSC and recently obtained her private pilot’s license.