A Class Act

Under the leadership of Jennie Bryan, Brunswick County Schools’ Teacher Scholar Academy is cultivating the county’s future educators right here at home.

For Jennie Bryan, teaching has never been just a career. It is, in her words, “a vocation in life where our greatest passion meets the world’s deepest need.”

That conviction has guided her through 15 years in education, from her days as a high school social studies teacher to being named Brunswick County Teacher of the Year in 2020, Southeastern Regional Teacher of the Year in 2021 and COAST Teacher of the Year in 2026. Today, it drives her in a new role, leading Brunswick County Schools’ Teacher Scholar Academy and coordinating a scholarship program designed to inspire and support the next generation of local educators.

The Teacher Scholar Academy, launched in August of 2023, is part of the district’s Grow Your Own initiative, a forward-thinking strategy to cultivate talent from within the community. Housed at the Center of Applied Sciences and Technology (COAST), the program welcomes students from all four Brunswick County high schools. They spend half of their day on the COAST campus, exploring the art and science of teaching while earning honors and articulated college credit.

Bryan sees the academy as a way to solve a long-standing problem in teacher preparation.

“We hear stories of students going to college thinking they want to be teachers, but they don’t get enough exposure to classrooms until the very end of their degree,” she explains. “By then, some realize it isn’t what they expected. This program flips that script by giving students real classroom experiences early on.”

The coursework blends theory with practice.

In the first year, students study the history and philosophy of education, learning theories and the challenges of working with diverse learners. They also visit schools across the county, observing teachers, counselors, nurses and specialists who make a school function.

As they advance, students dive deeper into curriculum planning, classroom management and supporting students with special needs or English as a Second Language. Perhaps the most transformative element is the field experience requirement of 120 hours working side by side with classroom teachers.

Photo by Matt McGraw

“They get to see what it’s really like,” Bryan says. “It’s not just theory. They’re part of the classroom community, and that gives them confidence about whether this is the path they want to pursue.”

Bryan’s enthusiasm for the program is rooted in her own journey. In college she was leaning toward a career in research and public history, and it wasn’t until she was almost finished her history degree that she seriously began considering teaching.

She discovered her passion was not in archives but in the classroom, guiding young minds, making history come alive and being a mentor. That decision has shaped her life.

Along the way, she earned her master’s degree and a teaching license, steadily building a reputation as an educator who not only excels in the classroom but also lifts others up. Her regional recognition opened doors to broader conversations about teacher recruitment and retention in North Carolina.

“At that point, I knew I was ready for a new challenge,” she recalls. “When the opportunity came to lead this program, I knew it was the right step.”

Bryan also understands the skepticism that sometimes surrounds a teaching career.

“There’s a lot of negative talk about going into education, mostly about funding challenges, and burnout,” she says. “But I’ve always felt supported in Brunswick County. My mission is to show students what’s possible, to encourage them to see teaching as a calling and a way to serve their community.”

That same mission fuels her efforts with a locally funded scholarship program created to ease the financial burden for aspiring teachers and encourage them to return home after college. By the time the program concludes its 2026 Brunswick Built Teachers Scholarship selection cycle, Brunswick County Schools will have pledged support to 23 future teachers for a total of $150,000.

For every $2,500 in scholarship support, a recipient commits to teaching in Brunswick County for one year.

The approach mirrors the state’s Teaching Fellows Program but is tailored to local needs. Importantly, eligibility is not limited to academy graduates. Teacher assistants and residency-licensed teachers completing their coursework can also apply.

The program is also in its first semester of offering the Early Childhood Education I course. Students who successfully complete the course will have completed over 120 internship hours in a local childcare or PreK program and qualify for the N.C. Early Childhood Credential, which is required for all lead teachers in N.C. childcare centers.

“It’s about creating multiple pathways,” Bryan explains. “We want to support anyone in our community who feels called to education and is willing to invest their career here.”

The Teaching Academy is still in its early years, but Bryan has her sights set on expansion. A second pathway is already underway, focused on early childhood education. This is a critical need given the shortage of childcare providers across the county. Students in that track gain hands-on experience in local childcare centers, preparing them to serve children from birth through kindergarten.

Bryan believes this layered approach, high school academies, scholarships and early childhood pipelines, will position Brunswick County to face the future with confidence.

“We’re not just filling classrooms,” she says. “We’re building a legacy of educators who know this community, love this community and want to give back to it.”

In classrooms today, a handful of high school students are already practicing their future roles, reading aloud to elementary children, assisting teachers with lesson plans or managing small group activities. They may not fully realize it yet, but thanks to Bryan’s leadership, they are part of a homegrown movement to ensure that Brunswick County’s children will always have dedicated, passionate teachers to guide them.

For more information about Brunswick County Schools’ Teacher Scholar Academy, contact Bryan directly via email at jebryan@bcswan.net.