Students chosen for teacher scholarships
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on April 9, 2007 1:46 PM
Sixteen Wayne County Public Schools students and two alternates have been named recipients of the 2007 North Carolina Teaching Fellows scholarship.
The Teacher Fellows program is designed to attract talented high school seniors to become public school teachers in the state of North Carolina. Created by the General Assembly in 1986, upon the recommendation of the Public School Forum of North Carolina, the program remains one of the top teacher recruiting programs in the nation.
As part of the program, each student is eligible to receive a $26,000 scholarship loan from the state, payable in $6,500 annual increments. Upon graduating from college, the entire amount is forgiven once the Teaching Fellow has completed four years of teaching in North Carolina public schools.
In addition to the financial assistance, Teaching Fellows are able to take part in unique academic and summer enrichment programs throughout their college careers.
This year's scholarships were awarded to:
* James Lee Malloy from Charles B Aycock High School
* Ethan Wesley Cooper, Dustin Michael Rhodes, Betty Brandt Rouse and Dustin William Smith from Eastern Wayne High School
* Carissa Ellen Morrison and Kathryn Louise Rikard from Rosewood High School
* Haley Rae Fail, Michelle Brooke Joyner, Kelsea Leanne Sanders, William Bryan Smith, Tara Katherine Tillman and Andrea Samone Wooten from Southern Wayne High School
* Anna Nicole Kearney and Jonathan David Pollock from Spring Creek High School
* Austin Banner Kestler from Wayne Early/Middle College High School
The two alternates are Southern Wayne High School senior Jaclyn Paige Wright and Wayne Early/Middle College High School senior Nicole Ashley Dvorovy.
Dr. Steven Taylor, superintendent of schools, commended the students for being selected and having the desire to choose teaching as a profession.
"These students exemplify the attributes needed to become excellent educators," he said.
"We look forward to these future teachers coming back to Wayne County Public Schools to take their place at the 'head of the class' in four years or less."