On a special night educators took center stage at the U Awards

Every school year is shaped by educators who rarely ask for recognition. They arrive before sunrise, stay after the final bell and solve problems that often go unseen. On May 7 during Teacher Appreciation Week, Union County Public Schools honored those educators at the Dowd Center Theatre during the fourth annual U Awards.

Ahead of the program, the reception outside the theater carried its own rhythm. Educators moved through conversations that stretched across schools and roles, reconnecting with colleagues and reflecting on the year. Laughter and greetings filled the space as familiar exchanges unfolded before the program began.

Inside the theater, that energy settled as the lights dimmed and the evening began.

The program opened with a performance from CATA Dance Academy seniors. Their movement brought a reflective tone to the stage, setting a quiet pause ahead of the evening’s recognitions.

Superintendent Dr. Andrew Houlihan followed with opening remarks, recognizing the educators, administrators and community partners gathered in the room.

“You are here because you are the best of the best,” he said.

Union County Board of Education Chairman Rev. Jimmy H. Benton Sr. also addressed attendees, drawing on sports analogies to emphasize teamwork across the district. He encouraged educators to view their work as part of a shared effort aimed at student success.

As the program moved into recognitions, the 2025 Teacher of the Year, Dylan Chavis of Porter Ridge High School, briefly returned to the stage.

“It was an incredible opportunity to speak with other leaders around the district and across the region,” he said. “Ultimately, I think about the big picture—knowing where you came from and understanding that you are a product of those who came before you, including when I was a student in UCPS.”

Fifty-two Teachers of the Year were recognized as names were called. Each announcement drew applause and cheers from colleagues across the room, and each honoree received a commemorative glass award.

The 2026 Beginning Teacher of the Year, April Knight, of East Union Middle, reflected on her transition into education after working as a hairdresser, a shift she said challenged and reshaped her approach in the classroom.

She credited her family for steady encouragement.

“They listen to all the crazy things I say,” she said with a laugh. “They are my pushback, which is good. You need that.”

Looking back on her first year, she didn’t hesitate.

“When you think you’ve got it together, you don’t,” she said. “You have to be able to pivot and shift and move.”

The announcement of the 2026 Teacher of the Year, Matthew Dowell, drew one of the evening’s defining moments.

A band director at Porter Ridge Middle School, Dowell described teaching music as a process built on persistence, where students break complex skills into smaller steps and grow through repetition and mistakes.

“It’s about building thinkers, teammates and resilient young people,” he said.

His answer to what drives his work came without hesitation.

“Students,” he said. “Everything I do comes back to them.”

The 2026 Assistant Principal of the Year, Sophie Flynn of Unionville Elementary School, credited the mentors who shaped her leadership and emphasized the importance of building strong school communities.

She described the goal of her school culture in simple terms.

“A sense of community and inclusiveness,” she said. “When you walk through the doors, you feel it immediately.”

The 2026 Principal of the Year, Amanda Stinchcomb, recalled her first impression of Benton Heights Elementary School of the Arts and the feeling that it was something special from the start. She was also the 2017-2018 UCPS Teacher of the Year while teaching fifth grade at Western Union Elementary School.

“I think I skipped to my car or floated,” she said. “I just remember thinking, ‘I get to work here.’”

Her focus centered on belonging and possibility for students.

“We want kids to know that they belong here,” she said. “That they are loved, that we believe they can achieve amazing things and find their genius.”

At the center of her reflection was a single word: hope.

“Hope is about the belief that so much is possible,” she said. “It’s hope in action.”

The Union County Education Foundation closed the evening by recognizing community support and presenting prizes to honorees, including $500 for Beginning Teacher of the Year, $1,500 for Teacher of the Year, $1,000 for Assistant Principal of the Year and $2,500 for Principal of the Year.

As winners returned to the stage for photos, colleagues and friends gathered around those being honored before slowly filtering out of the theater. What lingered was not just recognition, but the shared work that brought them there.