Rachel Candaso is the 2025 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Teacher of the Year, representing Pitt County Schools and the Northeast Region. She is a middle school educator and AVID site coordinator at Wellcome Middle School, where she leads schoolwide college and career readiness initiatives. Rachel earned her BS in Political Science and BS in Criminal Justice from Arizona State University. As a Teach For America alum, she moved to North Carolina to increase access and opportunities for rural students. She serves as an advisor on the State Board of Education and as Chair of Governor Stein’s Teacher Advisory Committee, collaborating to bring educational excellence statewide. A Kenan Fellow alum, Rachel prioritizes building coalition with all stakeholders to increase access to high-quality education that prepares students for their next phase of life.