In an effort to give all its students an equal opportunity to succeed academically, Atlantic Collegiate Academy has selected one of the most experienced Special Education teachers in Horry County to aid in giving all students the tools they need.
Shelbia Wiley comes to ACA from Horry County Schools where she has been a K-12 Special Education teacher for the last decade. In addition to her efforts within the school system, she has also worked as a therapist for the Early Autism Project, as a teaching associate at Coastal Carolina University and as Chief Executive Officer of Engaging Minds Services.
“We are so blessed to have a special education teacher with so many years of experience,” principal Mike Lorenz said. “She is going to do a phenomenal job working with our students who have special needs.”
A native of Whiteville, NC, Wiley started her own extensive educational journey at Forsyth Technical College in Winston-Salem, NC, earning an associate degree in business administration. From there she enrolled at Shaw University in Raleigh, graduating Summa Cum Laude with a B.A. in Psychology in 2000.
After two years working in the public sector, Wiley was called to the ministry and returned to college at Life Christian University in Clemmons, NC, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Christian Counseling with an advanced diploma in Theology in 2006.
From there she began expanding her education even more, taking classes from Capella University, first earning a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership in 2007 and then pursuing a doctorate in Special Education/Curriculum & Instruction, completing the coursework leaving only her dissertation. She is now working to complete her doctorate in Community Counseling at Liberty University.
While continuing her own classroom education, Wiley has spent more than 20 years working with students as a teacher. She began her teaching journey in 2000 in the Thomasville, NC, City Schools working with Exceptional Children before moving to Winston-Salem to work with Exceptional Children for Quality Education Schools in 2002, eventually earning promotions to Federal Programs Manager in 2005, Director of Federal Programs in 2007 and then Chief Federal Programs Officer and K-12 Principal in 2009.
Wiley took a position working with Exceptional Children in 2013 for Brunswick County Schools before making the move to South Carolina in 2014 to serve as Special Education Teacher and Department Chair for Conway High School, a position she held until 2022.
It was during that time at Conway High that she founded Engaging Minds Services Inc., serving as Executive Director who assists with planning and organizing operational programs, provides leadership for staff, oversees and reports on organizational results and serves as a victim advocate supervisor. She is still actively engaged with this firm.
She left Conway High in 2022 to become a teaching associate at Coastal Carolina University.
Throughout her career she has been actively involved in non-profit fundraising efforts, fostering organizational growth and managing large staffs.
She holds licenses as a School Administrator, Academic Coach, Learning Disabled/Mentally Handicapped (K-12) and Behavior/Emotional Handicapped (K-12). She also received certification in Pastoral Counseling in 2024. She is a member of the Coastal Region Human Trafficking Executive Team, the HGTC Human Services Board and the United Way Women’s Advisory Board.
Wiley has two children, daughter Sara Vickers who is a Coastal Carolina University graduate currently working toward a master’s degree at Capella University, and son Timothy Smith who is an entrepreneur. She is ordained and serves as the leader of the Homeless and Human Trafficking Ministries at Chesterfield Missionary Baptist Church.
In her limited spare time, she enjoys traveling and spending time with friends and family. She is also an active bowler and golfer.
