Nicole
Rivers, a Fayetteville State University (FSU) alumna, has been named Cumberland
County Schools’ 2021 Teacher of the Year. Rivers graduated from FSU in 2004 with
a degree in Secondary English Education. She teaches English at Gray’s Creek
High School.
 “My job as an educator is not to just get what
I deem as valuable information into the minds of my students,” Rivers wrote in
her TOY nomination portfolio. “It is not just to show students how the words of
others impact them, but how to effectively and responsibly use their words to
change the world around them. So, when I see students from every level of
capability do so, I feel I have done what I have been called to do: teach.”
The announcement of
Rivers as this year’s Teacher of the Year winner was made September 14, 2020
during the district’s first-ever virtual Celebration of Excellence in Teaching
event.
Rivers is a 15-year
veteran educator. Throughout her tenure, she has held many leadership
positions, including English Department chair, co-founder and advisor of Poetic
Pathos and Gray’s Creek Slam, and head advisor of G.E.M.S. (Girls Expecting
More Success).
As the 2021 Teacher of
the Year, Rivers received:
- A trophy and flowers from Cumberland County
Schools; - $300 from the Cumberland County Board of
Education (CCBOE); - $500 from Olde Fayetteville Insurance and
Financial Services; - $3,000 from Lafayette Ford Lincoln ($2,000 for
use at her school and $1,000 for her personal use); - A commemorative custom-designed CCS’ Teacher of
the Year ring from Jostens; - A personally engraved desk clock from Herff
Jones; and - A gift basket of edible goodies from Zazzy
Treats, LLC.
About Fayetteville State University
Fayetteville State University is a constituent institution
of The University of North Carolina System and the second-oldest institution of
higher education in the state, having been founded in 1867. FSU is a
historically black university offering degrees at the baccalaureate, master’s,
and doctoral levels. With more than 6,700 students, Fayetteville State
University is among the most diverse institutions in the nation. To learn more
about Fayetteville State University, visit www.uncfsu.edu.