Who was honored as Buncombe County Schools' Beginning Teacher of the Year?

ASHEVILLE - Mikayla Wright, 24, didn't know what she wanted to do after she graduated high school. She started college in Winston-Salem, her hometown, without a clear path on a career until she interviewed someone who was in a profession she respected, for a class assignment.

Wright ended up interviewing her pre-calculus teacher from high school, and from that moment on she knew she wanted to be a math teacher, she said.

Now, a little more than four years later, Wright teaches seventh-grade math at Erwin Middle School in Buncombe County and was awarded the 2023-24 Beginning Teacher of the Year on Sept. 26.

This makes her a nominee for the statewide award, presented by the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching.

Leadership staff from BCS and Erwin Middle surprised Wright in her classroom with balloons and flowers.

"It was really sweet to hear all the nice things that they had to say, and the kids were super excited, too, which made me feel good. It made me feel like I'm doing something right," she said.

Wright started at Forsyth Technical Community College in Winston-Salem but quickly moved to Western North Carolina to attend UNC Asheville for a math degree coupled with her teaching license.

She completed her student teaching at Erwin Middle and said that the school offered her a position right after.

"This was the best outcome, I love the school and I love the kids," she said.

"Ms. Wright brought a fresh perspective and an open mind to the school. She has gone above and beyond the requirements of a beginning teacher," Erwin Middle School Principal Travis Collins wrote in a letter of recommendation for her.

“Mikayla Wright is special; she is one of the best new teachers I have ever seen,” Collins said.

Wright had some tips and tricks for new teachers:

"Don't be afraid to ask for help," she said.

Being open to constructive feedback and having a good relationship with other staff members is important, Wright told the Citizen Times.

When Wright would have rough days in high school, she said she would always do math homework to make her feel better.

"It would relax me," she said. "It's something that I felt I was good at and could teach."

Next steps

A beginning teacher is selected from all school districts in North Carolina and as a Buncombe County Schools finalist, Wright will submit her application to NCCAT.

The program will then select a pool of applicants to compete for the title of 2024 North Carolina Beginning Teacher of the Year and if she wins, Wright will get a $5,000 cash prize and the opportunity to participate in a GoGlobal N.C. trip, which allows teachers to immerse themselves in a different country to learn about different education systems.

"It delivers the leadership and global competence needed to help our state thrive in this complex, dynamic world. We empower North Carolinians with the skills, understanding, connection, and knowledge to succeed in a global community," the GoGlobal website says.

More: Asheville city teacher receives Beginning Teacher of the Year award; who is she?

More: How does newly passed NC state budget impact Asheville, Buncombe schools teachers, staff?

McKenna Leavens is the education reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at mleavens@citizentimes.com or follow her on Twitter @LeavensMcKennna. Please support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Buncombe County Beginning Teacher of the Year awarded