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 千媚宫AV 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, 千媚宫AV, and UNC Pembroke through this unique program.
Moore County Schools Superintendent Dr. Tim Locklair stated, 鈥淲e are incredibly proud of Alyssa for becoming the very first recipient of the Grow Moore Teachers Pathway Scholarship. This milestone reflects not only Alyssa鈥檚 hard work and passion for education, but also the strength of the partnership between Moore County Schools, 千媚宫AV 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.鈥�
Mabe will graduate on June 6, 2025, from Union Pines High School and join the 千媚宫AV Community College family in the fall of 2025. Her mother, Kimberly Mabe, who is also a teacher, has greatly influenced Mabe鈥檚 desire to pursue a teaching career. 鈥淚 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,鈥� Mabe shared.
The Grow Moore Teachers Pathway Scholarship is a collaborative scholarship agreement between 千媚宫AV (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. As SCC President Sandy Stewart emphasizes, 鈥淲e will always need teachers. This partnership is a unique pathway to help scholars teach in their community.鈥�
鈥淭eaching 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, 千媚宫AV, 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,鈥� said Dr. Robin Calcutt, Chair, Moore County Schools Board of Education.
Mabe describes herself in her essay as an exceptionally hard worker when it comes to anything in life, especially school. 鈥淚 always do my absolute best to make good grades and go above and beyond in all of my classwork. I know that being a teacher requires hard work, and I am already experienced with that in my life. I am very involved in my classes as well as my extracurriculars. I participate in cross country, indoor/outdoor track and field, FFA, hunter safety team, and I am involved in my church's youth group.鈥�
She adds that teaching is a job that requires hard work because you have to be "on" for eight hours a day, not to mention the time spent preparing the classroom and lessons beforehand and resetting afterward.
鈥淚 am a very compassionate person. I always put others above myself and help anyone with anything they need. I frequently check up on my friends, family, and acquaintances to make sure they are doing well. If they say they need anything or just need someone to talk to, I will always be there for them. I strongly believe in always having a positive attitude throughout life because your actions could make someone's day better. If you go through life with a smile on your face, it will not only be good for your mental health but it will also provide a glimmer of light into everyone's life around you,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 can apply that trait to my teaching career by listening to what my students need and providing them with that as well. I can also apply this by making my students feel safe, secure, and cared for so that they will thrive in my classroom.鈥�
Some of Mabe鈥檚 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.
Mabe has been an active member of Union Pines FFA for three years and has been a member of Red Branch Baptist Church for 17 years, where she currently mentors at-risk youth in a community outreach program and participates in outreach ministry every Wednesday night and Sunday morning.
Rachel Wicker, agriculture teacher at Union Pines High School, adds, 鈥淎lyssa has been part of our Agriculture program at Union Pines her entire high school career. She strives for success in anything that she participates in. I have seen her come in as a shy freshman to an outgoing senior that has amazing leadership skills and is an amazing team player. Watching how much she has grown over the past four years makes me proud to say that Alyssa would be an excellent candidate for the Grow Moore Teachers Pathway Scholarship. She would make a great addition to becoming a teacher, especially here in Moore County.鈥�
Nathan Oakes, Student Ministry Director at Red Branch Baptist Church, adds, 鈥淭here is no doubt in my mind that Alyssa will one day be an amazing teacher. I have always known Alyssa to be of sound character, being compassionate, creative, disciplined, honest, humble, optimistic, patient, persistent, resilient, sincere, and having a great sense of ambition. Over the course of the past year, I have witnessed tremendous personal growth in Alyssa's communication, leadership, and problem solving. She takes on her position as a role model to the younger girls within the church very seriously.鈥�