Teachers Earn Elementary Education Residency Licensure Certificates at WCC

The EPP is a residency program that supports newly hired teachers in need of a residency license. It is designed for those who hold a bachelor’s degree in a non-education field and desire to become a teacher.

Teresa Davis, Allison Jones, Sarah Simmons, and Christina Turner, all Wayne County Public Schools teachers, received their residency licensure certificates at the completion ceremony.

WCC Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences and EPP Campus Director Kelli Hamm said that although the path to licensure may not have been easy, the educators pushed through to fulfill their dreams. “You’re not just certificate completers; you’re role models,” Hamm said. “You’re changing lives for the better and bringing hope to children who may not get it anywhere else.”

Dr. Patty Pfeiffer, WCC president, also acknowledged the teacher candidates’ successful journey to licensure. “You’ve balanced family, life responsibilities, and coursework to become certified teachers in North Carolina, and we are very proud that you are completing this program,” she said. “You inspire us all.”

During the ceremony, Jones won the Excellence in Teaching Award. She was recognized as someone who not only masters the craft of teaching but also naturally builds meaningful connections with students, showing genuine care for their well-being, learning, and success.

Along with their certificate, each teacher candidate received a golden apple, a symbol that carries both tradition and prestige.

Simmons, a fifth-grade teacher at Northwest Elementary School for over three years, said it was a “huge relief” to earn her residency licensure certificate. “My experience in the program has been very busy with a lot of work, but it was also very informative and fulfilling,” she said. “They have the best teachers in this program. I’m very thankful for them.”

Simmons has worked in business since graduating with her four-year degree but said she felt called to the teaching profession. “I felt that this was what I was supposed to do,” she said.

Residency licensure is the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) approved alternative pathway to initial licensure.

Through the EPP, WCC provides supportive coursework; one-on-one advising, mentoring, and coaching by experienced professionals; in-person observations; step-by-step guidance through the licensure process; and partnership with the local education agency.