Beth Rodgers ’22 Named North Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics Outstanding Mathematics Education Student

Beth Rodgers, a May 2022 graduate of the NC State College of Education’s mathematics education program, has received the 2021 Outstanding Mathematics Education Student Award from the North Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCCTM). 

Each year, the council honors one outstanding mathematics education student at colleges and universities across the state of North Carolina.

“Receiving the 2021 NCCTM Outstanding Mathematics Student Award was such an honor, and I cannot thank my mentor, [Associate Teaching Professor] Cyndi Edgington, enough for nominating me and supporting me on my undergraduate journey from the day I toured NC State and beyond the day I graduated,” Rodgers said. “During my time in the College of Education, I loved that students were the driving force behind so much of the amazing professional development, and I was proud to do some of that myself by serving as president of NCCTM’s Kappa chapter.”

Rodgers received the award at the 2022 North Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics Annual Fall Conference in Winston-Salem this November. It was the first in-person conference the organization has held since the pandemic, and it acted as an opportunity to recognize the past few years of award winners. Edgington, who nominated Rodgers, was able to be present at the conference when she received the award. 

“The mathematics education program is honored to have one of our students recognized for their hard work and commitment to teaching,” Edgington said. “Beth contributed so much to our program, and we are proud of her achievements both in and outside of the classroom.”

In addition to serving as president of the NCCTM’s Kappa chapter, as a student Rodgers was also a Park Scholar, where she led a mental health identity group and participated in the program’s leadership program, which included specific programming around diversity. 

Outside of school, Rodgers worked as a camp counselor, volunteered with Camp Hanes, completed a civic engagement initiative with Junior Achievement, and attended an alternative service break trip to Guatemala prior to the pandemic.

Now, she teaches at Green Level High School in Cary, where she has the opportunity to share her passion for mathematics every day with students in her classroom. 

“My love for kids and my love for mathematics drives me to teach,” Rodgers said. “I love supporting young adults as they grapple with difficult concepts and build understanding of challenging mathematical concepts. I love seeing the proverbial light bulb come on, but I love it the most when a student who’s really struggling takes on a growth mindset and, with my support, starts to make connections. The look on a kid’s face when they realize that they really can achieve in the field of mathematics is what brings me to work every day.”