After nearly a dozen years of health instruction to students in the Iredell-Statesville Schools system, Shana Whitley was named one of the top educators in the state.
The Lake Norman High health teacher received the High School Health Educator Award during a November banquet.
Whitley was chosen among hundreds of candidates across the state, and she said the recognition was a nice reminder that her hard work is paying dividends in the lives of her students.
"All the hard work I've been doing is being recognized by somebody," she said.
Whitley said the award — presented by the N.C. Association for the Advancement of Health Education — is her first of any kind in her 11-year career. She has taught at Lake Norman since it opened seven years ago.
"How awesome is it I was chosen for top educator of North Carolina?" she asked, rhetorically.
Principal Ben Allred said it is an honor to have Whitley working at his school.
"It's always nice to have people recognized for the hard work they do," he said. "It's been a long time coming for Shana."
Whitley mainly teaches ninth graders, and her curriculum includes lessons on nutrition, mental health, food management, anatomy and sexually transmitted diseases, among others.
"It's a class that's important because it's about how to be healthy," she said. "I'm helping kids keep themselves safe and make good decisions."
One of her proudest moments as a teacher came seven years ago when she showed her students a video on how to conduct breast and testicular self exams.
A male student later found he had early stages of cancer following a self exam.
"That's why I love (teaching)," Whitley said. "I have helped people survive things."
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