Early childhood education grad is Teacher of the Year finalist

A University of Georgia College of Education alumna has been recognized as one of the top educators in Columbia County.

Carolyn Stone (BSEd '02) was recently named one of five finalists for the Augusta, Georgia, area school district's Teacher of the Year award. She is a seventh-grade teacher at Greenbrier Middle School, and told the Augusta Chronicle that not only does she want to prepare her students for life beyond school, but she wants to do it with care and love.

"I want them to know I care about them," she told the newspaper. "I absolutely want them to know that I care about them and their futures."

She has been teaching for 14 years, and comes from a family of educators—her mother was a special education teacher and her father taught at Georgia Tech until the family relocated to the Augusta area. One of Stone's aunts taught high school, while another aunt and uncle taught in higher education.

The county teacher of the year will be announced this month at the district's annual banquet.