Enochville Elementary School teacher Tonya Kepley has been awarded the highest honor for math and science teachers in the nation.
The Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching is administered by the National Science Foundation on behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
“Receiving the Presidential Award is such an honor! It validates to me that the hardworking efforts of my students distinguish them as engaged mathematicians while I serve as their facilitator,” Kepley said in a press release.
Kepley has taught math in Rowan-Salisbury elementary schools for 13 years. She taught at China Grove Elementary for eight years before she began teaching fourth-grade at Enochville Elementary five years ago.
“Mathematics is my passion, and it is my desire to instill in my students the importance and relevance of mathematics in their everyday lives,” Kepley said in a press release.
In the classroom, Kepley seeks to provide a safe and engaging environment for students where they can learn concepts taught and rise to high expectations.
She mentors new teachers, models lessons for other educators and helped create a school-wide motivational program to encourage students to achieve to their full potential.
“I want to congratulate Tonya Kepley, who received this prestigious award because of her creativity in the classroom and commitment to her students,” said U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan in an email.
“Tonya is just one example of the many excellent teachers we have in North Carolina working to provide our children with a world-class education,” she added.
Kepley received her bachelor’s degree in education from Catawba College, where she graduated cum laude. She is certified in elementary education and is a National Board Certified Middle Childhood Generalist.