Everlene Davis has taught in Tabor City, North Carolina, for 67 years. Throughout her career, she has become a beloved pillar of the community, and though she is slowly approaching seven decades in the industry, Davis has no plans to slow down.
The dedicated educator spoke to WWAY 3 News about this achievement.
“I am so happy to know that I taught something in my class. You learned something in my class that has contributed to the success of your job. That means a lot to me. Very much so, very much so,” Davis expressed.
Throughout her lengthy career, Davis has always called Tabor City home. She started her career as a school teacher in 1956 at Douglass High School, which, at the time, was still segregated. Following the integration of schools, the young educator soon relocated to Tabor City High School. Now, she works at South Columbus High School.
Davis’ love for teaching drives her, and this also has made her remember the names and faces of not only her students but also their parents and grandparents and, in some cases, great-grandparents. A teacher as passionate and caring as her is hard to come by, and given her numerous accolades, it seems her state also recognizes that. “Those grades got to get up in this classroom here if you plan to pass this course. So, they work – I work them hard. I was trained hard, I guess,” Davis said.
Her work in the community doesn’t end when she steps out of the classroom. Davis currently sits as a member of the Brunswick Town Council and ran for reelection in 2019, where she won the general election. She is also a member of the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT), with whom she spoke about adapting to the times.
“When I’m talking to younger teachers, I always tell them to belong to professional organizations and attend meetings to learn as much as you can. I’ve always been that way. It is why I came here (NCCAT). I didn’t come through the technology age. I came through the typewriter age. So I wanted to come here and learn as much as I could to take it back to the classroom and help my students be the best they can be,” she said in a 2014 interview with the organization. Davis won the Sandhills/South Central Region Teacher of the Year award earlier that same year.
“I have touched the lives of many, many students,” she told WWAY 3 News. Davis hopes to continue her work as a teacher as long as her health permits it.
In 2013, she was in her 70s when she was honored as Teacher Of The Year in Columbus County. So Davis is roughly in her 80s to early 90s.
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