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t’s been a long time since I stepped onto a high school football field, but that streak ended this past September when I visited Orange High School with our photographer, John Michael Simpson. We crossed the turf to where DeVante’ Pettiford, OHS class of 2011, was starting practice. He returned to his alma mater a few years ago, after playing for Virginia State University, to join the coaching staff. This year, he took the reins. While John Michael snapped portraits of DeVante’ (see them on page 52), I had a moment to ask the players about the firstyear head coach. Junior Derek Yanko says his favorite thing is “probably how passionate he is about us. He’s the only coach who has been at every single workout. Every game. You can just tell he cares.” Junior Jaylan Sorrells echoed the sentiment, noting “he’s always there [for us] and … mentors us.” Similarly, Emily Giardina cheers on her fashion students in the classroom every week, earning herself the title of Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools’ promising new teacher. “I have been sewing since I was 10 and am trying to go to college for fashion design,” says Carrboro High School junior Lois Stevens. “Having a teacher like Ms. G has made me even more excited to pursue my dreams, and Ms. G has made me more confident that I can actually achieve them.” Read more about Emily, now in her second year of teaching, on page 46. These are just a few examples of how enthusiastic educators who believe in their students or players often make all the difference in a child’s life and can inspire greatness in them. For cover subject Pristine Onuoha, it was biology teacher Kimberly Manning who guided her down a science-focused path that led to her winning the national Genes in Space contest, which made the Morehead Observatory atop the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center a fitting location for that photo shoot. Read more of Pristine’s story on page 56. If there’s someone who you’d like to see in next year’s Schools & Education issue, drop me a line. Much like the kids we spoke with for these stories, I’m always excited to learn more. CHM
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O N TH E COV E R P h o to by Co r n e l l Wats o n at Mo re h e a d O b s e r vato r y i n t he M o re h e a d P l a n e ta r i u m a n d S c i e n ce Ce n te r. Th e o b s e r vatory telescope i s m a n a g e d by th e U N C D e p a r tm e n t o f P hys i c s a n d A st ronomy