UNCP’s Teaching Fellows Program Experiencing Rapid Growth, Lasting Impact

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 in a program that has seen remarkable growth in recent years. Since its re-launch in the 2022-23 academic year, when there were just five students, the 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. “We are one of the programs across the state that has experienced a lot of growth.”

We received more hands-on experience, more time with mentors and meaningful sessions with education leaders.

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. “Now, you can be a community college student, a current UNCP student or even on the MAT track and apply.” Lowery notes that UNCP stands out among campuses offering the program: “We have consistently had a rather large MAT population. We are one of the campuses with more MATs on our roster than others.”

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.

Teaching Fellows visited Rowan-Salisbury school district to learn more about the town, district, and current employment opportunities.

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.

Rooted in one of the most diverse regions in the Southeast, the program strongly focuses on the impact of quality education for all.

“We sit in a melting pot,” Lowery said. “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,” Lowery said.

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, 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.

The opportunities provided through the program, from statewide school visits to study abroad experiences in Italy and Switzerland, broadened her perspective and prepared her for leadership. It also gave her an early advantage in the classroom.

“We received more hands-on experience, more time with mentors and meaningful sessions with education leaders,” Harris said. “I feel like we were set up for success in ways other education students may not have been.”

After student-teaching in Raleigh, Harris returned home to serve rural communities, where the need for strong teachers remains high. “The Teaching Fellows Program has the potential to meet the urgent demand for teachers in underserved areas,” she said.

Though she once planned to spend her career in the classroom, Harris found her path shifting toward administration, where she now supports students and the teachers who serve them. “It feels amazing to have come full circle,” she said. “I hope the program continues to grow and impacts others the way it impacted me.”