Shea Bolick is the 2023 Burroughs Wellcome Fund Northwest Region Teacher of the Year. She has been a High School Spanish Teacher for Caldwell County Schools since 2001. Currently she teaches Spanish at South Caldwell High School. In 2000 she earned a Bachelor of the Arts in Romance Languages from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her teaching certificate from Appalachian State University. Shea serves on various committees on the state and district level including the Northwest Regional Educators Leadership Committee. She has been married since 2003 and is the mother of three children who were or are currently in the NC Public Schools. Passionate about food distribution, travel, and service learning, Shea is the founder of a local food distribution organization. Shea believes in promoting engagement and excitement in the classroom, feeding children, and preparing students for college, career and life.