Dance education major Makayla Church has been named the UNC Charlotte Student Teacher of the Year for the Spring 2018 semester. She becomes the UNC Charlotte nominee for North Carolina Outstanding Student Teacher of the Year, which will be announced at the annual North Carolina Association of Colleges and Teacher Educators meeting this fall in Raleigh.
Makayla graduated on May 11 with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance, with a concentration in K-12 dance education. Throughout her time at UNC Charlotte, Makayla has excelled in teaching, performance, and research, having served as a Charlotte Research Scholar. In November 2017, she presented her research, "Breaking with Tradition: Critical Approaches to Ballet Pedagogy," at the State of North Carolina Undergraduate Research and Creativity Symposium at Campbell University. She has also volunteered at The John Crosland School, a local school dedicated to the education of children with learning and attention differences, and has worked at the Robinson Hall Box Office as a Patron Services Representative.