North Lenoir teacher, South Lenoir student win state STEM recognition

A teacher at North Lenoir High School and a student at South Lenoir High School are winners of top

awards presented annually by the North Carolina Science, Mathematics and Technology Center.

Science teacher Kayla Lane-Varnell is the 2024 winner of the Center’s Outstanding Educator Award in

Science, Mathematics and Technology Education and Rachel Noble, known for her achievements in FFA

and the field of agricultural science, is winner of the Student Leadership Award in Science, Mathematics

and Technology Education.

“I tried to find a county that (won) both awards in the same year, and I could not,” Superintendent Brent

Williams said at the March 25 meeting of the Lenoir County Board of Education, where the two award

winners received certificates of congratulations. “I don’t think it’s been done before.”

The awards highlight the SMT Center’s mission of “supporting educators, engaging students, and

advancing the growing importance of having a STEM-educated workforce,” according to its website.

The award nomination compiled by Amy Jones, director of high school education and CTE, praised

Lane-Varnell’s dedication to life-long learning and her contagious enthusiasm.

“Mrs. Varnell’s ability to ignite passion and curiosity in students is a testament to her genuine enthusiasm

for STEM, specifically in the area of biology. When students are excited about coming to class and

voluntarily choose to take additional courses because of her influence, it speaks volumes about the impact

she has on their learning experience,” she wrote.

A science teacher at North Lenoir High for eight years, Lane-Varnell shares her insights as an

experienced classroom leader in peer-level professional development sessions and as a mentor for aspiring

teachers from East Carolina University and NC State University and for beginning teachers at her school.

She is a multiple winner of regional grants and was selected as the North Lenoir Teacher of the Year in

2021-2022.

“I’m very honored. It’s really very exciting,” Lane-Varnell said of her award. “I try to make learning

experiences in the classroom really fun and make them hands-on, but also try to prepare students for

college and what they’ll be doing later on in life.”

Superintendent Williams praised Lane-Varnell for “being all about her students. She’s known for being

student centered and really pushing her kids, but also making sure they have fun. That shows in the work

she’s doing. I’m proud LCPS has such teachers representing us.”

A national FFA award winner, South Lenoir junior Rachel Noble is deeply involved in the science of

agriculture, from her school’s greenhouse to its ag mechanics class and on to her family’s farm. She is

president of South Lenoir’s FFA chapter and the Southeast Region chapter and is a frequent speaker at FFA

and Farm Credit events and at meetings of local civic clubs.

Her nomination reads in part: “Rachel helps to engage others in STEM-related activities by sharing and

demonstrating STEM opportunities within the agricultural field and helping them find something that sparks their interest. Rachel has recently taken over the management of her family farm’s agritourism component, allowing the public to come to her farm and engage in and learn about agricultural sciences.

In and out of the classroom, Rachel works with her peers to further engage them in our program areas:

agricultural mechanics, animal science and horticultural sciences.”

“The award has a lot to do with what I’m doing in the national FFA organization,” Rachel said. “We have

horticulture, agriculture, mechanics and animal science. Each of those incorporates some aspect of

engineering and math.

“I’m really thankful for having the opportunity not only to represent agriculture education in receiving

this award but to also represent Lenoir County. Having the opportunity to share this recognition with a

teacher in the same year is very exciting,” Rachel said.