Maureen M. Stover, a science teacher at Cumberland International Early College High School has been named the 2020 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Teacher of the Year. Stover was selected from a field of nine finalists representing the state’s eight education districts and charter schools.
A former intelligence officer in the U.S. Air Force, Stover began her teaching career 11 years ago in Florida through the federal Troops to Teachers program. She said her students understand that her commitment to them extends beyond the 90 minutes of classroom instruction each day. “My role as a classroom teacher is to be part giver of knowledge, part cheerleader, part counselor, part mom, part nurse and part what my kids need me to be that day,” Stover said.
“Maureen says that her training and experience in the military ingrained in her the mantra of service before self,” noted State Superintendent Mark Johnson. “She proves that every day for her students, who have her as both an excellent teacher and a great role model.”
With an undergraduate degree in biology from the United States Air Force Academy, Stover has also earned two master’s degrees.