Since its re-launch in the 2022-23 academic year, when there were just five students, UNCP’s Teaching Fellows program has expanded to 54 Fellows, including many Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) candidates.

“We are pleased with the growth we’ve had,” said Dr. Arine Lowery, director of the program and a former Teaching Fellow herself, in a press release. “We are one of the programs across the state that has experienced a lot of growth.”

That growth, in part, is due to UNCP’s program expanding to welcome students beyond the traditional high school pipeline.

“The second edition of Teaching Fellows is much more flexible,” Lowery explained in a press release. “Now, you can be a community college student, a current UNCP student or even on the MAT track and apply.”

Established in 1996, the N.C. Teaching Fellows Program is a competitive, statewide scholarship and leadership program designed to prepare highly qualified teachers for the state’s public schools, especially in high-need subjects like mathematics, science, special education and elementary education.

Fellows receive up to $5,000 per semester in forgivable loans, which can cover tuition, fees, books and expenses related to obtaining licensure. In return, students commit to teaching in a North Carolina public school for each year they receive funding.

“We sit in a melting pot,” Lowery added in a press release. “Our Fellows have very rich perspectives. They are trained in culturally relevant strategies to reach all populations of learners. I would hope that as they move into the classroom, they can reach diverse learners and impact student achievement in a way that shows what happens when you care for the holistic child.” 

After more than a decade in corporate banking, Bridget Speller-Purington made a bold move into a new profession — teaching. As a newcomer to the classroom, she leaned heavily on the North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program at UNC Pembroke for support and guidance, saying she wouldn’t have been successful without it.

She often shares how transformative the program has been for her. In addition to her coursework, the program gave her access to professional development opportunities she otherwise wouldn’t have had. “It’s truly been a game-changer,” she said. “I can’t imagine what my experience would’ve been like without it.”

Speller-Purington’s experience echoes that of many other Teaching Fellows.

Dr. Leslie Harris, a Teaching Fellow from 2003 to 2007, credits the program with opening the door to her entire career in education. “Honestly, I would not have been able to go to college if it were not for the Teaching Fellows Program,” said Harris in a press release. Harris is a first-generation college graduate and principal at Long Branch Elementary School.

Now entering her 19th year in education — and her 10th as a school principal —Harris has come full circle. She serves as chair of UNCP’s Teaching Fellows Advisory Council and remains a passionate advocate for the program that helped shape her journey.

“It feels amazing to have come full circle,” she said in a press release. “I hope the program continues to grow and impacts others the way it impacted me.”