teaching one of their favorite classes, Kea has contributed many college recommendation letters for her students to further their educational success, such as writing senior Carson Radcliff’s college recommendation. 

     “I asked Mrs. Kea to write my college recommendation letter because if I had not taken her class when I first moved, my transition between schools wouldn’t have been as smooth,” Radcliff said. 

     In the middle of the 20-21 school year, Kea assisted Radcliff who had just transferred from Arendell Parrott Academy. Kea was a helping hand in this transition, and Radcliff is very thankful to have had her as a teacher.

     “She made moving schools as unproblematic as possible,” Radcliff said. “I don’t think I will forget Mrs. Kea because of her kindness for helping me as a new student at Rose.” 

     Kea's new job position starts this July and has differences from what she has been doing as a high school teacher. There are essentially two parts to this job that require leadership and authority at the Pitt County Schools Central Office.

     “I will be the K-12 instructional support person for social studies, making sure other teachers have a curriculum for social studies and providing resources,” Kea said. “The second part is the high school facilitator job; with this I will be working closely with high schools and [providing] any help they may need.” 

     Although Rose remains a special place for Kea, she always knew that she wanted to transition to a different position in education eventually, whether it be now or in the future. This difficult decision has led Kea to reflect on her time here at Rose and the ability to see this new job as a new opportunity. 

     “I have always wanted to do curriculum work after I retire,” Kea said. “I really didn't expect this position to open up at this point; I thought that it would be a transition from teaching to retiring.”

     Kea is happy that her new position will allow her to still be a part of Rose. Her new position will require her to occasionally spend time on campus, just not permanently in the classroom. 

     “Since I'm working with high schools, I will be coming to Rose to help any teacher in social studies that needs it,” Kea said. “I also hope to be in some classrooms helping with instruction as well.” 

     Kea’s new chapter of life awaits her in the upcoming school year; however, she is saddened to end her 17 years of teaching here at Rose. Her experience as an educator, staff member and leader has left an impact on the students and history department of Rose. 

     “The staff and students have made me a better teacher and a better person; students have constantly driven me to dive deeper into content,” Kea said. “Rose is a Rampant family; [it] has always been a home for me and always will be.”