Tri-County Electric Membership Corporation has awarded $102,120.36 in Bright Ideas education grants to 130 educators across Duplin, Wayne, and Lenoir counties. These grants empower teachers to implement creative, hands-on classroom projects that enhance learning experiences for thousands of students—paving the way for a brighter future for young learners.
A special celebration was held Monday, November 3, 2025, at the Tri-County EMC Corporate Office to honor this year’s grant recipients. In addition to recognizing the winning teachers, Tri-County EMC presented $500 awards to Fremont Elementary, E.B. Frink Middle, and North Duplin Elementary for having the highest number of successful proposals in their respective counties.
Since the Bright Ideas program’s inception in 1994, Tri-County EMC has contributed $2,182,064.26 to fund 2,493 innovative projects that have enriched classrooms and inspired students across Eastern North Carolina. The grants support a variety of subjects, including music, art, history, reading, science, and math.
Applications for Bright Ideas grants are accepted annually through mid-September, with winners selected through a competitive judging process. The next application cycle opens in April 2026.
To learn more or explore success stories, visit www.ncbrightideas.com or follow “Bright Ideas Education” on Facebook.
Below is the list of this year’s winning teachers and their schools:
| Victoria Smith | Banks Elementary |
| Kimberly Smith | Banks Elementary |
| Bobbi J Colie | Banks Elementary |
| Heather Pridgen | Banks Elementary |
| Melissa Southerland | Banks Elementary |
| Hollie Ayers | Banks Elementary |
| Jennifer Bennett | Banks Elementary |
| Weil Sawyer | Banks Elementary |
| Nicole Ewing | Beulaville Elementary |
| Kari Roberts | Beulaville Elementary |
| Emily Williams | Beulaville Elementary |
| Alexis Futrell | Beulaville Elementary |
| Donnell Hamilton | Brogden Middle |
| Casheda Grant | Brogden Middle |
| Breanna Gibson | Brogden Primary |
| Carla Johnson-Royal | Brogden Primary |
| Lesley Whitman | Brogden Primary |
| Amber Poandl | Brogden Primary |
| Holly Benaissa | Brogden Primary |
| Polly Justice | Carver Elementary |
| Jaboha Davis | Carver Elementary |
| Gracey Guagliardi | Carver Elementary |
| Robin Casey | Carver Elementary |
| George Christopher Brown | Center of Opportunity |
| Christie Lynn Frederick | Charles B Aycock High |
| Rebecca Lynn Capps | Charles B Aycock High |
| Connie Bracewell | Duplin Early College High School |
| Garrick Jermaine Purdie | Duplin Early College High School |
| Chadwick Stokes | E B Frink Middle |
| Danneka Sutton | E B Frink Middle |
| Elizabeth Hamm | E B Frink Middle |
| Fannie Brown | E B Frink Middle |
| Jennifer Walmsley | E B Frink Middle |
| Lily Hartsell | E B Frink Middle |
| Maisielyn Dempster | E B Frink Middle |
| Nicole Perkins | E B Frink Middle |
| Rachel Jones | E B Frink Middle |
| Vicky Newberry | E B Frink Middle |
| Timothy Rowe | East Duplin High |
| Kim Marshburn | East Duplin High |
| Daniel Huygens | East Duplin High |
| Jackie Smith | East Duplin High |
| Nephi Lawson | East Duplin High |
| Christopher Hicks | Eastern Wayne High |
| Brian Gurley | Eastern Wayne High |
| Thomas Houston | Eastern Wayne High |
| Abigail Steele | Fremont Elementary |
| Amber Boise | Fremont Elementary |
| Brooke Ash | Fremont Elementary |
| Christina Turner | Fremont Elementary |
| Cierra Reid | Fremont Elementary |
| Danielle Mobley | Fremont Elementary |
| Diane Grady | Fremont Elementary |
| Hallie Hulse Evans | Fremont Elementary |
| Marisha Mitchell | Fremont Elementary |
| Mollie Forrester | Fremont Elementary |
| Morgan Moore | Fremont Elementary |
| Kasey Ezzell | Grantham Elementary |
| Sharon Marie Hinnant Cox | Grantham Elementary |
| Karri Jernigan | Grantham Elementary |
| Mary Sumner | Kenansville Elementary |
| Georgia Tingen | LaGrange Elementary |
| Brittany Holder | LaGrange Elementary |
| Katherine Sowers | LaGrange Elementary |
| Karen Stevenson | LaGrange Elementary |
| Jessica Stanley | LaGrange Elementary |
| Sally Holloway | LaGrange Elementary |
| Alicia Davis | LaGrange Elementary |
| Travis Towne | Lenoir County Early College High |
| Porsha Bell | Lenoir County Early College High |
| Lindsay Howard | Moss Hill Elementary |
| Meredith Kornegay | Moss Hill Elementary |
| Connor Potter | Moss Hill Elementary |
| Catherine Barwick Lynch | Moss Hill Elementary |
| Leah Elona Pliego-Padilla | Moss Hill Elementary |
| Allyson Heath | Moss Hill Elementary |
| Riley Price | Moss Hill Elementary |
| Sarah Nielsen | North Duplin Elementary |
| Cayla Barwick | North Duplin Elementary |
| Alexis Pate | North Duplin Elementary |
| Morgan Taylor | North Duplin Elementary |
| Jenny Coley Sasser | North Duplin Elementary |
| Daylan Rae Wise | North Duplin Elementary |
| Caroline Rocha | North Duplin Elementary |
| Samantha Crouch | North Lenoir High |
| Rebecca Paroby | North Lenoir High |
| Sarah Casey | North Lenoir High |
| Kady Long | North Lenoir High |
| Michelle Lorraine Taylor | North Lenoir High |
| Bailey Sutton | North Lenoir High |
| Samantha Ewell Newcomb | North Lenoir High |
| Joshua Ayers | North Lenoir High |
| Harley Smith | North Lenoir High |
| Dorothy S. Isbell | Northwest Elementary |
| Amy Lecher | Northwest Elementary |
| Amy Jo Jones | Northwest Elementary |
| Beverly McLawhorn | Pink Hill Elementary |
| Stephanie Kollock | Pink Hill Elementary |
| Leyha Murphy | Pink Hill Elementary |
| Jodi Peele | Pink Hill Elementary |
| Amanda Wuestman | Pink Hill Elementary |
| Allison Whitfield | Pink Hill Elementary |
| Jennifer McLawhorn | Pink Hill Elementary |
| Leigh Anne Hall | Pink Hill Elementary |
| Katie-Beth Hill | Pink Hill Elementary |
| Katherine Maldonado | Rosewood Elementary |
| Ashley Harper | Rosewood Elementary |
| Amanda Jones Minshew | Rosewood Elementary |
| Judy Foss | Rosewood High |
| Sarah York | South Lenoir High |
| Ashley Turnage | South Lenoir High |
| Sheree Casias | South Lenoir High |
| Karen A. Sheppard | South Lenoir High |
| Tayler Michelle Floyd | South Lenoir High |
| Jessica Hill | South Lenoir High |
| Jessica Graham | Southern Wayne High School |
| Debra Wallace | Spring Creek High |
| Terry Smith | Spring Creek High |
| Dona Briggs | Wayne Country Day School |
| Maya Fulton | Wayne School of Engineering |
| Lisa Hemenway | Wayne School of Engineering |
| Saysha Stallings | Wayne School of Technical Arts |
| Lisa Beckett | Wayne STEM Academy |
| Scott Cole | Woodington Middle |
| Mari Turner | Woodington Middle |
| Lorraine Kelly | Woodington Middle |
| Robert W. Houston | Woodington Middle |
| Wendy Williams | Woodington Middle |
| Steven Loftin | Woodington Middle |
| Monica Johnson | Woodington Middle |