Alyssa Mabe from Carthage, a Union Pines High School senior, signed the very first Grow Moore Teachers Pathway Scholarship agreement on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, in Logan Hall on the Sandhills Community College campus. She was praised by school leaders for her accomplishments during her high school tenure and will now have future opportunities to partner with Moore County Schools, Sandhills Community College and UNC Pembroke through this unique program.

Moore County Schools Superintendent Dr. Tim Locklair stated in a press release, “We are incredibly proud of Alyssa for becoming the very first recipient of the Grow Moore Teachers Pathway Scholarship. This milestone reflects not only Alyssa’s hard work and passion for education, but also the strength of the partnership between Moore County Schools, Sandhills Community College and UNC Pembroke to grow and support the next generation of teachers. Together, we are building a brighter future for our students and our community.”

Mabe will graduate on June 6, 2025, from Union Pines High School and join the Sandhills Community College family in the fall of 2025. Her mother, Kimberly Mabe, who is also a teacher, has greatly influenced Mabe’s desire to pursue a teaching career.

“I want to be a teacher because I have seen the impact my mother has made on her students' lives and how they remembered her after many years for what she taught them and how she treated them. I have also seen the hours she's spent planning lessons, activities, and positive behavior incentives for her classes. I aspire to be the same kind of teacher. I have always wanted to be an elementary school teacher because I want to have an impact on people's lives and teach so many kids how to do so many different things,” Mabe shared in a press release.

The Grow Moore Teachers Pathway Scholarship is a collaborative scholarship agreement between Sandhills Community College (SCC), Moore County Schools (MCS) and The University of North Carolina at Pembroke (UNCP), created to address the teacher shortage and ensure a pipeline of highly qualified educators for Moore County. This scholarship is available to all students graduating from Moore County Schools and offers a unique opportunity: recipients first complete one of seven associate degrees at SCC, then transfer to UNCP to complete a major in the Educator Preparation Program (EPP) and ultimately return to Moore County Schools as teachers.

The program leverages the strengths of dual enrollment, the SCC Foundation and the partnership among the three institutions, making it an affordable and impactful pathway for aspiring teachers.

“Teaching is a noble profession that transforms lives, strengthens communities and upholds the public good of public schools. We recognize that licensed, well-prepared teachers play a pivotal role in shaping student achievement. The collaborative efforts of our community, Moore County Schools, Sandhills Community College, and UNC-Pembroke in advancing this initiative exemplify a shared commitment to educational excellence and to ensuring that our public schools are staffed with the highest caliber of educators. We are incredibly excited for our first Moore Teachers Scholar, Alyssa, to begin her journey to become a teacher in Moore County Schools and look forward to increasing this opportunity in the future,” said Chair of the Moore County Schools Board of Education Dr. Robin Calcutt in a press release.

Some of Mabe’s honors through FFA include placing fourth in her division for the Youth Market Turkey Show at NC State, earning second place in the state AgriScience Fair at the FFA state convention and qualifying for a state degree in FFA in the summer of 2025. For cross country, indoor, and outdoor track, she competed at regional and state championships, with her sophomore year 4x800 relay team placing sixth in the state. As a senior, she served as co-captain of the cross-country team. She has consistently been on the Honor Roll or Distinguished List every semester of high school.