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With a mission of transforming education and expanding opportunities for all children, Teach For America North Carolina is working to be a force for change in education by impacting communities across our state. This year, the organization is celebrating their 35th anniversary. As they move forward from this milestone, they say farewell to a leader who has helped shape them into their current form.
Teach For America launched in 1990 in six regions across the country, including Eastern North Carolina. Since then, TFA North Carolina has trained and developed more than 4,200 first-year teachers, positively impacting over 250,000 students statewide. To celebrate their collective impact, education, business, and civic leaders came together to celebrate this milestone at four events across the state.
At the Raleigh celebration on April 25th, TFA North Carolina honored nine leaders with their Legacy of Excellence awards, including EdNC’s CEO and Editor-in-Chief Mebane Rash.
“I believe in ‘One Day.’
I believe in the teachers and leaders who choose to make ‘One Day’ happen for students in classrooms across North Carolina every day.
I believe in Molly Urquhart, Derick Lee, Amy Strecker, Jennifer Haygood, Lisa and Eric Guckian, Donnell Cannon, Jenny O’Meara, Dean Drescher, Sayre Mann, Hillary Braden, Kayla Morais, Elena Ashburn, Lauren Lampron, Alex Quigley, Carice and Eric Sanchez, Seth Sauegling, Virginia McIlwain, Vichi Jagannathan, Erin Swanson, Heather Graham, and each and every one of you who chooses to make ‘One Day’ part of your leadership commitment to our students, our state, and our future.
What I know to be true is that ‘One Day’ does not happen for all North Carolina students without Teach For America.
In classrooms where good things are happening, you will find TFA teachers offering up snaps. Snaps, TFA, for the individual leaders you invest in and support and for your unparalleled organizational leadership across North Carolina.
Thank you for including me and EdNC in your commitment to ‘One Day.’”
— Mebane Rash, EdNC CEO and Editor-in-Chief
Passing the torch
Dr. Monique Perry-Graves became TFA North Carolina’s first statewide executive director in July 2021. During her tenure, she has led multiple teams across Eastern North Carolina, the Triangle, the Piedmont-Triad, and Charlotte. In addition, Perry-Graves has also led both of TFA North Carolina’s advisory boards. Under her leadership, TFA North Carolina was able to successfully transition from a multi-region model to one united statewide organization.
“I’d be remiss if I didn’t also say what a profound impact of legacy, excellence, rigor, and love that [Perry-Graves] has brought to all of Teach For America throughout our entire national network of nearly 50 regions serving 350,000 communities across the country, a network of 70,000 strong. When we think about our educators, our tutors, our alumni, I need everybody in the North Carolina crew to know that this lady has had a profound impact on our national work,” said Jemina Bernard, president and chief operating officer of Teach For America.
Perry-Graves’ last day with TFA North Carolina is May 2nd, after which she will become the new chief executive officer of Road to Hire. TFA North Carolina is currently working with an executive search firm to find a new executive director. The priority deadline for applications is May 2nd.
TFA North Carolina’s history
Here’s a brief timeline of TFA North Carolina’s growth over the past three decades, according to their website.
1990 – Teach For America (TFA) began its journey in six regions across the country, including Eastern North Carolina. Today, TFA operates in over 50 regions nationwide. That year, 23 corps members began their leadership journeys in the Triangle and Eastern North Carolina.
2002 – By 2002, they transitioned from the “North Carolina region” to the Eastern North Carolina region, preparing for broader statewide expansion.
2004 – They launched the Charlotte region with placements exclusively in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.
2014 – They expanded again to the Piedmont Triad region, placing corps members in Guilford County Schools.
2018 – They merged the Charlotte and Piedmont Triad regions, forming the Charlotte-Piedmont Triad region.
2021 – TFA North Carolina united as a statewide region with the appointment of their first-ever statewide executive director.
2022 – TFA North Carolina launched two key programs to amplify their impact across the state: the RISE Fellowship (alumni educator development) and the Ignite Fellowship (high-impact tutoring).
2025 – TFA North Carolina celebrates 35 years of impact across the state as Ignite fellows, corps members, alumni teachers, and school leaders impact more than 95,000 students each day.
Over the next decade, TFA North Carolina aims to “deepen our influence and continue transforming educational opportunities for students across North Carolina.”
Legacy of Excellence honorees
TFA North Carolina honored the following leaders with its Legacy of Excellence awards in three categories: The Legacy of Excellence in Educational Leadership Award, the Legacy of Impact for Alumni Leadership Award, and the Legacy of Impact for Partnership Excellence Award.
The Legacy of Excellence in Educational Leadership Award
- Mebane Rash, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of EdNC.org
- Robyn Fehrman, Principal at Mindful Social Impact
- Dr. Deanna Townsend-Smith, Senior Director of the Dudley Flood Center
The Legacy of Impact for Alumni Leadership Award
- Eric Guckian (NYC ‘95), President and CEO of United Way of the Greater Triangle
- Lisa Guckian (NYC ‘96), Senior Director of Leadership for Educational Equity
- Dr. Donnell Cannon (ENC ‘12), Senior Designer for the Reinvention Lab at Teach For America
The Legacy of Impact for Partnership Excellence Award
- Cameron Henley, Managing Member at Navigator
- Tommy Sevier, Senior Vice President, State Government Affairs at McGuireWoods Consulting
- ChildTrust Foundation, accepted by Cyndi Soter O’Neil, Director of Strategic Philanthropy
Editor’s note: Dr. Monique Perry-Graves and Dr. Donnell Cannon serve on EdNC’s board of directors. Molly Urquhart serves on the TFA Eastern NC Advisory Board. Cyndi Soter O’Neil serves on EdNC’s strategic council. ChildTrust Foundation supports the work of EdNC.
