Melanie Solter was recently selected as Teacher of the Year for Dillon School District Three for 2015-2016.
She was one of three school level Teachers of the Year  recipients vying for the position of District Teacher of the Year. This year’s school representatives are as follows: Latta High School – Susan Bryson; Latta Middle School – Melanie Solter; and Latta Elementary School – Elizabeth Snipes.
Melanie  is originally from Lafayette, Indiana. She received her B.A. in Secondary Education- Social Studies from Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana in 2004.  She later went on to earn her M. Ed. in Educational Leadership from Winthrop University, Rock  Hill, in 2014.   Melanie has seven years teaching experience and has been teaching at Latta Middle School the entirety of her career.  Her most recent additional duties include being a Lead Teacher and National Junior Honor Society Sponsor.
Melanie knew she wanted to become an educator when she watched her own family members struggle and find success.  She firmly believes that all students can learn and should be provided the best education possible with every opportunity to achieve.  
Learning is a lifelong endeavor, and Melanie believes that it takes a village to educate our youth today.  Her mission, like many of her peers, is to meet each and every one of her student’s needs.  What works for one may not work for another, but when the right educative approaches are utilized, students will have in their possession the tools needed to succeed in today’s tech savvy world as responsible 21st century world citizens.
Being selected as District Teacher of the Year qualifies Melanie as a participant in the selection of South Carolina Teacher of the Year. The South Carolina Teacher of the Year program is coordinated via the Division of Educator Quality & Leadership and is designed to honor those who are representative of the state’s many exceptional teachers.
Melanie is the proud daughter of Mildred and David Smith.  She has one younger sister; Denise Ellen Connell.  She also has one daughter and son, who attend Latta Elementary School—Madeline and Jayden Solter.  She strives to instill in her family, friends, and students the knowledge that that education is the key to open the doors of opportunity and success.