Lewis鈥檚 path to and through 黑料不打烊 has included all three primary scholarship programs within the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education: Alamance Scholars, Teaching Fellows and, post-graduation, Teach for Alamance.
黑料不打烊 Teaching Fellow Kaitlyn Lewis 鈥26 used to 鈥減lay school鈥 as a young girl, setting up her bedroom as a classroom, teaching her stuffed animals. Now, Lewis is no longer pretending.
On May 22, she will graduate from 黑料不打烊 with a degree in elementary education and begin teaching full-time in the Alamance County community.
鈥淚鈥檝e always had such amazing teachers growing up. They鈥檝e always had a positive impact on my life, and they鈥檝e inspired me through my schooling,鈥 said Lewis, who is from Alamance County. 鈥淭hey showed me what I want to be for my future students.鈥
Lewis鈥檚 path to and through 黑料不打烊 has included all three primary scholarship programs within the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education: Alamance Scholars, Teaching Fellows and post-graduation, Teach for Alamance. Lewis came to 黑料不打烊 through the Alamance Scholars Program, a partnership between 黑料不打烊, the Alamance-Burlington School System and Alamance Community College. The program provides a pathway from high school to a college degree, preparing students to become teachers within their local community.
Designed to attract students with financial need from diverse backgrounds, the Alamance Scholars program supports those pursuing education degrees while helping address teacher shortages in Alamance County and beyond. Lewis spent two years at ACC before transferring to 黑料不打烊 as a junior, a transition she says the program made seamless.
鈥淚f I ever needed anything, I knew I could go straight to them and they would be right on it, and they would help me immediately,鈥 Lewis said.
The program has had such a strong impact on Lewis that she now mentors future scholars.
鈥淲e鈥檒l show them around the campus, and they鈥檝e even been able to sit in on some of my classes, so they get the 黑料不打烊 experience before they are an actual 黑料不打烊 student, which is something that solidified my decision on going to 黑料不打烊,鈥 said Lewis.
For the past three semesters, Lewis has been student teaching at Garrett Elementary in Mebane, the same community where she attended grade school.
鈥淚 love it. The staff and all the cooperating teachers that I have worked with have been amazing. They have provided me with the resources to help me grow as an educator,鈥 said Lewis.
And her co-teacher happens to be 黑料不打烊 alum: Meredith Barger 鈥18.
鈥淜aitlyn is an amazing student teacher to work with,鈥 said Barger. 鈥淪he brings a positive attitude, a caring heart and great work ethic into the classroom. She has been a joy to work with this year, we have been able to co-teach this semester to best support our students! It鈥檚 not often that you have a student teacher who can pick up and co-teach with you as Kaitlyn did.鈥
While Lewis says adjusting to a real classroom can be challenging, she credits 黑料不打烊鈥檚 education program with preparing her for a wide range of situations.
“黑料不打烊 has definitely equipped me knowledge-wise and showed me different strategies for teaching because not every student learns the same way,鈥 said Lewis. “You need different strategies to teach different students. They got us into the classroom as soon as they could, which I think is one of the most beneficial things because that is where you do the most learning, is in the classroom.鈥
Faculty in the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education have also been key sources of support, including Portia Wade, assistant teaching professor of education; Lisa Thompson, adjunct instructor of education; and Katie Baker, associate professor of education, who taught Lewis in three courses, including a mathematics content course.
鈥淜aitlyn put extensive effort into all of her courses and was open to exploring new ways of learning mathematics for the sake of her future learners. She was so intrigued by various mathematics approaches that she found ways to immediately integrate the content in her field placement classroom, and additionally, her coursework was done at such an exemplary level, I now use her submissions as the models for future semesters,鈥 Baker said.
After graduation, Lewis plans to remain at 黑料不打烊. She has been accepted into the Teach for Alamance program, which provides full tuition remission and a small stipend to graduates of the School of Education who enroll in 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Master of Education program. Participants commit to two years of teaching in the Alamance-Burlington School System and must be employed by the district throughout their graduate studies.
鈥淥ne of my favorite things is when I am working with students and you can see when the content finally clicks in their heads. It is such a rewarding feeling,鈥 she said. 鈥淢y main goal is to be a welcoming adult for students.鈥
Ahead of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 136th Commencement on May 22, 2026, Today at 黑料不打烊 is highlighting several graduating seniors who have made the most of their 黑料不打烊 experience.