During a heartfelt ceremony held on Wednesday, April 23 at Cape Fear Botanical Garden, Cumberland County Schools (CCS) named Ebony Chisholm, a teacher assistant and bus driver at Lucile Souders Elementary School, as the district’s 2025 Teacher Assistant of the Year.

Chisholm, now in her 11th year in education, is known for going above and beyond—both inside the classroom and on her bus route. When her name was called, she was overwhelmed with emotion.

“I was shocked. I wanted to cry, but I held it together,” Chisholm said in a press release.

Chisholm draws on her own experiences as a student to inspire her work each day. She described her role as one of purpose and presence—being exactly who she once needed when she was younger.

“I try to be who I needed when I was younger,” she said in a press release. “When I would lack motivation, I needed somebody to pick me up.”

Her impact is felt through daily affirmations, personal handshakes and quiet moments of encouragement, which she uses to fill the emotional and academic gaps some students face. She believes teacher assistants play a vital, often unseen, role in a school’s success.

“We’re the glue,” Chisholm said in a press release. “Wherever there’s a gap, we fill in.”

Chisholm also expressed gratitude to her school leaders, fellow educators and, most importantly, her students—whom she calls her greatest motivation.