Earn your Elementary Education degree at a distance through the Lees-McRae partnership with Surry Community College

For seniors Melissa White and Seth Buie, becoming a teacher has been a lifelong dream. Over time, however, they found themselves with other responsibilities, tight schedules, and enrolled in ill-fitting academic programs. That is, until they enrolled in the Lees-McRae distance learning Elementary Education program housed on the Surry Community College campus in Dobson, North Carolina.

White said she has dreamt of being a licensed teacher since she was a little girl. Although she has been in the profession now for more than 20 years working in daycares and preschools, she decided to wait to pursue a degree until her children were older. In her forties she began looking for the program that was right for her.

“I applied to a program in 2019 and got accepted, but it just didn’t seem like the right fit, so I didn’t do it,” White said. “When I moved to Surry County and found out about Lees-McRae, I took that as a sign that I could do it, and I have enjoyed this program a lot. I can’t wait for May 2025 when I get to be a licensed teacher and hopefully have my own classroom in August.”

Although he began his path toward higher education directly after graduating from high school, Buie’s story is similar. After completing an associate degree and enrolling in a secondary mathematics education program at UNC-Charlotte, Buie realized he hadn’t quite found the right fit in pursuing a degree in secondary education.

It wasn’t long before he switched his major and enrolled in the Lees-McRae Elementary Education program at Surry Community College.

“I am a Surry County native, and for me, the distance learning program at Surry was more feasible because I do work full time. Having the option to take night classes on Tuesday and Thursday evenings really fit into my schedule well,” Buie said. “Given the choice, I would not have chosen an online program, so that was why I was really excited about Lees-McRae. I perform well under direct tutelage from my instructor and getting to interact with my peers. It really just made the most sense for how I am as a student, and it gave me the opportunity to meet all the needs I have for myself.”

The college’s Elementary Education program at Surry Community College is a degree-completion program that offers junior and senior year courses and prepares students to graduate with a bachelor's degree in elementary education. The program is taught entirely by Lees-McRae faculty and offers the unique opportunity for students to earn a Lees-McRae-quality education in a traditional setting while staying close to home.

Many of the program’s faculty members have previously taught in the Surry County Public School System, allowing them to understand the specific needs of Surry County students. This is particularly important in preparing teacher candidates for the workforce, as 20% of Surry County Public Schools educators are Lees-McRae alumni.

For Buie, who was raised in the Surry County Public Schools system and plans to teach at his own elementary school upon graduation, this fact was of vital importance when selecting this program.

“I was kind of worried, I’m not going to lie, because I thought, ‘Lees-McRae is several counties over from where I am,’ and even within the state school systems are completely different. I thought that maybe what the students on the Banner Elk campus learn might not be applicable to the area I wanted to teach,” Buie said. “It was really nice to see that Lees-McRae has hired and recruited these educators from our area that can tell us what our students are like, what their strengths and challenges are, and what the demographics are. Getting to make connections with those same people and network with them has opened up so many opportunities for me.”

White also valued the program’s flexible schedule and its in-person instruction when deciding to enroll at Lees-McRae. The structure of the program has allowed her to maintain her current full-time position as a teacher’s assistant and to be there for her own kids.

She also has plans to continue teaching in Surry County following graduation and hopes to find a full-time position as a lead teacher in the school where she currently works. While she has years of education experience, she said that earning her degree will help her take the final step toward reaching her ultimate goal of leading a classroom of her own.

“I’ll be able to implement all the lessons and put my spin on things,” White said. “I also don’t want to waste my potential to make a difference in children’s lives as a licensed teacher.”

Making a difference in students’ lives is also the main motivation for Buie in earning his bachelor’s degree. While he has also been working in the profession as a substitute teacher and in after-school programs throughout his time at Lees-McRae, he said that earning his degree will give him the tools and opportunities to make a greater impact in the lives of his students.