NC State College of Education Graduates 1st Group of Teaching Fellows Since the Return
Since North Carolina state legislators re-established the North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program in 2018, the NC State College of Education has welcomed the largest group of Teaching Fellows in the state.
Three seniors from the first cohort of Teaching Fellows at NC State since the return of the program will graduate this May: Caroline Alexander ‘20, Devin Byrne ‘20 and Erin Lisi ‘20, who all will earn their bachelor’s degrees. As part of the Teaching Fellows program, students receive up to $8,250 per year in forgivable loans if they commit to teach in the fields of STEM or special education in North Carolina public schools
Below are looks at the three graduating students.
Caroline Alexander ‘20
Alexander, a science education major, plans to teach high school science somewhere in North Carolina. But first, she will be getting married in July to another NC State graduate. This past year, Alexander was selected as a recipient of the STEM Pre-Service Teacher Education Scholarship through the North Carolina Space Grant, where she was awarded a $4,000 scholarship.
“The NC State College of Education has completely reshaped what I believe a teacher should look like and what a classroom should look like,” Alexander said when she discussed why the Teaching Fellows Program and what she has learned from the NC State College of Education.
- Caroline Alexander Selected for STEM Pre-Service Teacher Education Scholarship Program
- Caroline Alexander Shares Why She Changed Majors and What She Has Learned During Her Time at the NC State College of Education
- Caroline Alexander and Devin Byrne Discuss Careers in Service-Related Fields
Devin Byrne ‘20
Byrne, a first-generation college student, will graduate with a degree in technology, engineering, and design education. He said that being part of the Teaching Fellows program made a real difference in his college experience.
“Being a Teaching Fellow has been very valuable to me,” Byrne said. “It has taught me a lot about myself, a lot about connecting with others and it’s definitely given me some experiences I never would’ve imagined having at the end of my college career.”
Erin Lisi ‘20
Lisi, a science education major, is in the middle of the interviewing process. She plans to teach middle school science for either Wake, Alamance-Burlington, Mecklenburg or Union County public schools.
“I have loved my time as an education major at the NC State College of Education and as a new Teaching Fellow. As a Teaching Fellow, I have been able to have breakfast with Chancellor Randy Woodson and discuss the importance of proper, quality education in North Carolina and investing in our education majors,” said Lisi, who also earned a minor in theater. She loves theater almost as much as she loves teaching science. And she was able to work alongside the assistant director of acting and directing at the University Theatre for an independent study.
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