Educators recognized for excellence
Two Rose teachers were nominated for and received the Morehead-Cain Impact Educator award by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) Morehead-Cain Scholarship semi-finalists Maya Swaggerty and Gabriela Castillo.
The teachers who were nominated were Liza Knight and Ashley Hutchinson. Knight has taught social studies here for 24 years, and Hutchinson has been a member of the English department for 20 years. Knight and Hutchinson each teach several Advanced Placement courses, and both of them had previously received the award. The Impact Educator award recognizes teachers who have made lasting and meaningful relationships with their students.
.jpeg)
Photo By Ashley Hutchinson
“Students that are competing for [the Morehead-Cain Scholarship] can name a teacher who has had a positive influence on them, and some of those teachers are granted the Impact Educator award,” Knight said.
The Impact Educator award was founded in 2023 and honors educators from North Carolina, across the country and internationally. Award recipients then have the opportunity to apply for a grant to help fund a project in their classroom or for their professional development.
The Morehead Cain Scholarship is a merit scholarship that provides recipients with full tuition for four years at UNC-CH. To apply, applicants must first complete a written application, and then they must participate in an online interview. It is during this process that they are given an opportunity to nominate a teacher as an Impact Educator.
Applicants are asked to nominate a teacher who helped shape their academic development and leadership skills.
“I was able to nominate someone once I became a semi-finalist for the Morehead-Cain Scholarship,” Swaggerty said.
Both students highlighted the supportive relationship they had with the teachers they nominated during their time at Rose.
“[Hutchinson] is always by my side and she’s always supportive no matter what,” Castillo said. “She always knows what is best for me even if I didn't think it was best for me.”
Swaggerty believes Knight has influenced her the most academically. Knight inspired her to pursue an education in political science and possibly a career in law.
Both Knight and Hutchinson have received numerous other awards and honors throughout their teaching careers. They believe that out of all of the awards they have received, this award in particular means the most to these teachers because it was student-nominated. Both teachers feel that receiving the award is confirmation that students feel that they are making a difference to each one of them.