The Wake County Public School System named Jennifer Pride as its top teacher.
Superintendent Cathy Moore presented the Heritage Middle School educator with the award during a socially distanced event with balloons and flowers.
Pride is an eighth-grade language arts teacher.
During the pandemic, Pride created a video to encourage her fellow teachers to stay positive. She was one of 10 finalists for the award.
Pride has been teaching for 13 years and lives by her motto: "Always be willing to take risks to assure that our students feel that they are heard every single day and in every way."