Amber Autry ’24 still remembers the impact her teachers had on her when she was growing up, so when it was time to pick a career path, she knew she wanted to be a teacher who helped the next generation of students feel appreciated, understood and heard.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the NC State College of Education and teaching kindergarten, Autry followed her dream of returning to teach in her hometown of Stedman, North Carolina, where she transitioned into teaching high school science at her alma mater, Cape Fear High School.
It’s there that her passion for supporting students was recognized with Cumberland County Schools’ 2026 Beginning Teacher of the Year Award.
“Being selected as Beginning Teacher of the Year is such an incredible honor that means so much to me,” Autry said. “I find rewards in my job every day as I see my students grow and build relationships with them, but being recognized with an honor like this is something that I am so grateful for. These moments of recognition remind me that the hard work and dedication I give to my career are not going unnoticed by those around me.”
In her nomination for the award, Autry’s colleagues specifically noted her “clarity, energy and rapport with students” while her principal said that she “demonstrated a natural ability to lead” and takes a “thoughtful approach to teaching.”
Some of her favorite moments as a high school teacher, Autry said, have been watching her students experience science topics firsthand through lab experiments, bringing students on field trips to aquariums and leading students in the school’s Natural Science Academy and Science Olympiad teams, including a trip back to NC State for a Science Olympiad tournament.
“It was a surreal experience being back on my college campus, but this time as an educator, not a student,” she said.
Autry, who was also recently recognized as the Cape Fear News Network’s Teacher of the Week, credits her experiences in the College of Education with her success as a beginning teacher
She fondly recalls taking field trips in her social studies methods courses, working on read alouds with Assistant Teaching Professor Jill Jones in reading methods courses and receiving advice from Senior Lecturer Kari Keubel, as well as being guided through her student teaching experience by University Supervisor Marcia Davis.
“There was never a time when I felt unsupported by the professors at the NC State College of Education. You can truly see the dedication these people have to producing extraordinary educators, and I owe a lot of credit to the College of Education for my success in my career thus far,” Autry said.
Although making the decision to transition from teaching elementary school to high school was a difficult one, Autry said that a lot of what she learned in the College of Education’s STEM-focused elementary education program helped her make the switch. Additionally, lessons she learned in the elementary education program related to social-emotional learning for students have been applicable from her kindergarten classroom through her high school biology, earth and environmental science classrooms.
“I truly believe NC State’s educator preparation program is the best possible preparation you could receive as a teacher. I reference the lessons I learned in college every day and love sharing the ideas and methods I learned with other educators,” she said. “I am eternally grateful for the NC State College of Education and for the experiences and preparation it gave me as an educator.”