RALEIGH, N.C. ⸺This summer, five eastern North Carolina teachers will trade their classrooms for the hangar floors, engineering bays and logistics operations of one of the nation’s premier naval aviation facilities. Come fall, they will bring lessons, insights and career connections back to the students who may one day work there.

The five are among 36 teachers from across North Carolina and Virginia selected as 2026-27 Kenan Fellows by the Kenan Fellows Program for Teacher Leadership at N.C. State University. Their fellowship placement takes them inside Fleet Readiness Center East, the U.S. Department of the Navy’s primary aviation rework facility for helicopters, vertical lift and tiltrotor aircraft, located aboard Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point near Havelock, NC. FRC East is North Carolina’s largest maintenance, repair, and overhaul and technical services provider.

The selected fellows are:

• Susan Merrell, Morehead City Elementary School, Carteret County Schools
• Nika Johnson, West Craven High School, Craven County Schools
• Heather Davis, Greene Early College High School, Greene County Schools
• Rachel Jones, EB Frink Middle School, Lenoir County Schools
• Danielle Groseclose, Contentnea-Savannah K-8 School, Lenoir County Schools

“The Kenan Fellows Program connects teachers to the industries shaping their communities. This fellowship puts teachers inside one of the region’s most important employers so their students can one day walk through those same doors,” said Vance Kite, director of the Kenan Fellows Program for Teacher Leadership.

Working alongside engineers, aviation mechanics and logistics professionals, the five fellows will see firsthand how a facility of this scale keeps the nation’s military aircraft mission-ready. They will return to their classrooms with lessons and educational programming that open students’ eyes to the careers available in their own region.

“FRC East has collaborated with the Kenan Fellows Program since 2012, and we’ve seen firsthand the benefits that come from equipping these outstanding teachers with knowledge about our work so they can design educational curricula that support the needs of industry in North Carolina. From skilled tradespeople on the hangar deck to engineers, logisticians and support staff, there are so many opportunities at FRC East that allow for building a solid career right at home in Eastern North Carolina while supporting our nation’s military aviators. We’re honored to host five more Kenan Fellows this summer and look forward to working with them to help prepare tomorrow’s workforce, today,” said Jamaine Clemmons, head of FRCE’s Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul Engineering Department, which encompasses the depot’s STEM Outreach program.

The Kenan Fellows Program positions teachers as collaborators with industry partners in building stronger communities. Fellows spend three weeks embedded in their host sites, learning alongside professionals who share the challenges and opportunities defining their industries. As a result, schools build stronger ties to nearby employers and students begin to see pathways for local careers.

About the Kenan Fellows Program for Teacher Leadership

The Kenan Fellows Program for Teacher Leadership is a statewide force for teacher leadership and growth in North Carolina. Founded in 2000 and based at the Kenan Institute for Engineering, Technology & Science at N.C. State University, the program invests in teachers through immersive industry experiences, professional development, and a strong, enduring community. Every investment returns to classrooms, schools and communities, advancing education and our communities’ future together. Learn more at kenanfellows.org.