Teacher wins WBTV shopping spree after making impact beyond the classroom

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) – Earlier this week, WBTV anchors Alex Giles and Mary King surprised South Meck High School teacher Jerry Duncan with the news that he won the station’s Back To School Teacher Shopping Spree contest sponsored by WBTV and NC Medicaid for More People.

The 12th-grade English teacher has been teaching for 17 years, but those who know him said his impact on students extends well beyond the classroom.

“He goes out, and he finds students who are looking for direction and helps to provide them with a purpose,” South Meck Principal Marc Angerer said of Duncan.

While Duncan was presented with a $1,000 check, the WBTV team quickly learned his value extends beyond any dollar amount.

And he does it through a program called Rise2Impact, and has been doing so since 2012.

Through Rise2Impact, students volunteer in the community and get mentoring opportunities and experiences with hopes of putting them on a path to success after high school. To date, Duncan said 250 underserved young men have gone through the program.

“I can’t take credit for it,” he said. “I’m just the wind beneath their wings.”

Duncan said about 60% of participants in the program go on to college or trade schools, with the rest going straight into the workforce.

He said that with support from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and Jordan Brand, the program continues to grow. Angerer said he knows his star teacher will use resources from the contest the same way.

“What’s great about Jerry is he will find different ways to utilize that money to impact students that are outside the box that we haven’t necessarily thought of,” the principal said. “So being able to get any type of extra funds to put into the classroom or out of the classroom to support students will go really far for them and him.”

Duncan said one student from the program each year gets a free ride to college thanks to Jordan Brand.

His wife nominated him for the contest.

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