Eboni Harrington, a seventh-grade math teacher at Lucy Addison Middle School, was named as the District’s Teacher of the Year, making her Roanoke’s first-ever Black teacher to win the award.

According to WSLS, the Roanoke local was recognized for her dedication to best serve her students both in and out of the classroom and commended for her perseverance during the challenging year.

A mentor of Harrington noted that history is being made by saying, “You’re the second African American to receive this honor, and the first African American female to be the district teacher of the year.”

Harrington is a Star City native and attended school in Roanoke as a child until the fourth grade.

Growing up, she was inspired by her mother’s strength in the face of hardships.

“As the oldest of eight, I always find myself teaching and learning from my siblings daily,” said Harrington. “I aspire to be a great role model for my siblings by modeling resilience, confidence, and perseverance. I developed these characteristics by observing my mother advocate for my brother during a difficult period during his senior year. His privileges to graduate had been revoked, and she fought effortlessly to reinstate his rights to walk. Watching her fight for my brother ignited something in me that reassured my career choice to become a teacher.”

The award was presented to her by a committee comprised of RCPS employees, retirees, and last year’s teacher of the year.

Harrington is passionate about bettering the lives of her students and said she hopes to “empower, encourage, and uplift our youth through mentorship, community engagement activities, and education. Through this platform, I hope to inspire our youth to believe in their aspirations and pull from the resources around them.”

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Harrington received a $1,000 check as a reward from Teacher of the Year Sponsor Member One Federal Credit Union and will now compete for Regional Teacher of the Year.