Fairview Heights Teacher Is ‘Home-Grown’ Educator

March 14, 2023 - Kasey Knight of Richmond County is a prime example of a “home-grown teacher.” She teaches third grade at Fairview Heights Elementary School in Hamlet, the very school she once attended as a young child.

“One of my former teachers is now my teammate on the third-grade team at Fairview,” she said.

Knight is a 2020 graduate of Richmond Community College who pursued her degree in education through the “Growing Our Own Teachers” transfer pathway. She graduated in 2022 from the University of North Carolina-Pembroke with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with a concentration in Special Education.

Pipeline for Teachers

Students who participate in the Growing Our Own Teachers program complete two years of coursework at RichmondCC and then complete the remaining two years of coursework at a senior institution with a School of Education. The program uses guided pathways of instruction to make sure all requirements are met and students are on track for graduation at the end of four years with their teaching degree.

“Being able to get my general education from RichmondCC was a huge plus. I was able to start my content courses as soon as I entered Pembroke’s door,” Knight said. “While I was at RichmondCC, I was able to take courses from (former Early Childhood Education instructor) Jennifer Murray, who taught me the foundation of education and the true meaning of being a great educator.”

Knight is a self-contained teacher, which means that the 17 third graders in her class stay with her all day, while other students change classes. She teaches them math, English/language arts, science and social studies.

“We have a packed schedule!” she said.

Knight completed her 16 weeks of student teaching at Fairview Heights. Under the guidance of a “cooperative” teacher, she created and taught lessons, gave and graded assessments, and performed all the duties that a lead teacher would do.

After graduating UNCP, she was offered to stay on at Fairview Heights as a full-time teacher. 

“When I was offered the job, I never hesitated. It has been a dream come true!” she said.

However, was being a teacher always her dream? Not really.

Career Plans Interrupted

Knight said she has always loved kids and enjoys being around them. When she was 16, she worked as a dance instructor for children of all ages. While becoming a school teacher seemed like a natural fit, she was more interested in a career in criminal justice at the time.

“I was in full force of going into law enforcement as a crime scene detective until (RSHS teacher) Suzanne Hudson grabbed me in the hallway of Richmond Senior High School and said, ‘You are going to be a teacher. Will you take Teacher Cadet for a semester and just see?’ After that, the rest is history,” Knight said. “She changed my world and saw something in me as a teacher.”

Knight would go on to be the state vice president of the Teacher Cadet Program from 2018-2019.

A Guaranteed Plan

While becoming a teacher came into focus for Knight, how to achieve her career plan was still up in the air. She was a dual enrollment student starting in the 11th grade, so she was already earning college credits for free at RichmondCC. Then her uncle, Joey Bennett, who is the director of the Cole Auditorium on the Hamlet Campus of RichmondCC, had an impactful conversation with her about her future.

“If it was not for my uncle explaining to me what all I could do with a degree from RichmondCC, I would have never given it a thought,” Knight said.

Upon graduating Richmond Senior High, she qualified for the RichmondCC Guarantee, which sealed the deal for her to start her education at RichmondCC.

“Having the Guarantee made my decision so much easier because I knew my parents, who are divorced, would not have to split the cost of paying tuition or extra expenses,” she said.

The RichmondCC Guarantee is an initiative for Richmond and Scotland County high school graduates to attend RichmondCC for two years without any tuition costs. To qualify, students must have taken two dual enrollment classes while in high school and graduate with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Knight also was glad she started her college education at RichmondCC because she wasn’t ready to be far from home.

“I needed to mature a little more as a college student before going to a university. It gave me a little more time to get my life together and make absolute sure that I was on the right path,” she said.

The Right Path Indeed

Despite her early doubts, Knight feels being a teacher is her calling, not a job.

“Sometimes, I feel like I am not doing the best of jobs teaching my students because I am so new to the profession. But it always comes back around to prove that I am in the right place when my students tell me that they love me or that I am doing a great job,” she said. “I am here for the students.”

Knight is a proud alumna of RichmondCC.

“I have and will continue to recommend RichmondCC to all students. There is nothing better than staying close to home while you are trying to figure out what exactly you want to do,” she said. “I will forever be thankful to the people and staff at RichmondCC.”