From Shy Student To School Leader

It's hard to imagine that a woman who can break boards with her bare hands, an award-winning teacher and self-assured school administrator, was once the shyest kid in class.

But when a high school teacher threatened Yolanda Wiggins with a zero unless she answered questions out loud, the A and B student took an F.

"My husband loves to tell that story," Wiggins says, with a laugh.

Over time, Wiggins found her voice. She won awards for poetry and became a reporter for the hometown newspaper in Halifax County. The school superintendent, a frequent contact, suggested that Wiggins become a teacher. A year later, after asking if he had been serious, Wiggins decided to continue her education. 

Continue reading about Northeast Leadership Academy graduate and College of Education alumnae, Yolanda Wiggins, on the NC State University website.