Zoey Willis ’24 has received UNCW’s Hoggard Medal for Achievement. The Hoggard Medal, presented through the generosity of the late UNCW President John T. Hoggard, is awarded annually to the graduating senior who, in the opinion of the faculty, has shown the most improvement during their years at the university.
Willis graduated in May with a degree in the Education of Young Children. Hengameh Kermani, coordinator of WCE’s EYC program, nominated her for the award.
“Throughout her time at UNCW, Zoey has consistently demonstrated exceptional dedication, enthusiasm and commitment to her studies and the field of early education,” Dr. Kermani said. “As a student, she had to balance full-time work, evening classes and the demands of her job as a teacher assistant at a high-needs elementary school. Despite these challenges, Zoey consistently goes above and beyond. I am in awe of her hard work, determination to improve, and her positive attitude towards learning.”
Willis is originally from a small town in western NC called Ellenboro, but moved to Wilmington at an early age. She said she has known she wanted to teach early childhood since she was in the first grade.
“My grandma was an elementary school secretary for 35 years and I would spend any school breaks or free time I had at her school helping in classrooms,” she said. “Dr. Kermani and Dr. Jes Cardenas taught the bulk of my courses at Watson and definitely prepared me for my future career. Their guidance and the experiences they provided have shaped me into the educator I always dreamed of being.”
Dr. Kermani says Willis is passionately committed to giving back to her community by empowering young children and their families and will be an excellent teacher.
“This semester, during her internship, I have had many opportunities to observe Zoey plan and deliver lessons around children's interests and facilitate their learning,” Dr. Kermani said. “As Zoey's supervising faculty, it is incredibly gratifying to hear her partnership teacher praise her exceptional ability to engage children in their own learning, both socially and intellectually, while fostering a high level of interest and curiosity among them. Her partnership teacher shared with me, ‘Children LOVE Ms. Willis! On the days she is on the UNCW campus for a workshop or something, they keep asking for her and if she is coming back. You can tell they miss her.’ This speaks volumes about Zoey's positive impact on the children she interacts with.”
“I am beyond grateful to have been nominated by my professor, Dr. Kermani, for the Hoggard Medal of Achievement,” Willis said. “I love being a student, especially in the EYC program, and I always wanted to learn and grow, even amid the personal struggles that happened along the way. This award means a lot as it shows that my hard work was seen and has paid off!”
The award was presented at UNCW’s Senior Excellence Banquet on May 10. Zoey's recognition marks the third time a Watson College of Education EYC student has been nominated and honored with the Hoggard Medal for Achievement. Previous EYC awardees include Robin Smith, who received the honor in 2018, and Holly Mitchell, who was recognized in 2004.
The EYC program at UNCW has been instrumental in educating early childhood educators in Southeastern North Carolina for almost 25 years. The program, designed for high school graduates and paraprofessional educators as well as practicing teachers without a B-K teaching license, offers faculty expertise, a small professor/student ratio, evening classes, real time simultaneous course offerings for those residing in other counties and a strong sense of community.
For more information please visit the EYC program website.
This article has the following tags: Watson College of Education Students & Alumni Accomplishments