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Three graduates of Charlotte Teacher Early College (CTEC) have received Barnhill Foundation Scholarships to pursue their teaching careers at Cato College of Education at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Cing Thian Kim, Monet Evans and Fiona Ganchenko will receive up to $30,000 to cover tuition and fees at Cato College of Education for the 2023-24 school year. The scholarship is renewable for two additional years, and winners also commit to work for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools for three years following their graduation from UNC Charlotte.
- Kim, a 2022 CTEC graduate, was one of the school’s first students to enroll in the professional teaching program at UNC Charlotte. She is now completing her second semester of professional coursework.
- Evans, a 2023 CTEC graduate, is an elementary education major. She is part of the inaugural cohort of CTEC students in the Cato College of Education Learning Community for freshmen.
- Ganchenko was salutatorian for CTEC’s class of 2023. She was accepted into the professional program for elementary education this fall and has begun her foundation courses.
The Barnhill Foundation Scholarships were designed to help increase enrollment at CTEC and build a teacher pipeline for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. Teacher recruitment and retention has become a critical issue for school districts nationwide, due to declining enrollment in teacher education programs and educators choosing to leave the profession.
“I absolutely think it’s a game changer for our students,” said CTEC Principal Will Leach. “We’re in our seventh year and want to entice students to give teaching a shot and reach those we know might continue in the profession. With the scholarship, I hope we can bring more people to the table and give them access to an education.”
CTEC operates on a five-year program model, placing future teachers in an immersive, college-oriented environment throughout high school. Students enter in the ninth grade and can earn more than 60 college credits or an associate degree, along with their high school diploma, at no cost to the student.
