Corning Announces 2024 Edge for Tomorrow Future Teachers Grant Recipient

Corning Incorporated has awarded its 2024 Edge for Tomorrow Future Teachers Grant to 19-year-old Andrea Loera Valdez, of Edgecombe County. The grant, a partnership with Edgecombe County Public Schools’ Scholar Teachers program, is sponsored by Corning’s Office of Racial Equality and Social Unity (ORESU). Loera Valdez is the fourth recipient of the grant.

“Andrea embodies the spirit of dedication and passion that we seek to nurture in all future teachers,” said Matt Bristow-Smith, Principal at Edgecombe County’s Early College High School, home of the Scholar Teachers program. “As a first-generation scholar and a future teacher of color, she serves as an inspiration to her peers and a testament to the impact that one individual can have on the future of education. Through Andrea’s service as a teacher, Corning’s Edge for Tomorrow scholarship will have ripple impacts upon generations of Edgecombe County students, their families, and our community.”

Loera Valdez will attend North Carolina State University, where she will study elementary education. She also plans to specialize in special education. 

“Scholarships like this one will make it easier for me to focus solely on my studies,” she said.

The first Edge for Tomorrow scholarship was awarded in 2021 as part of Corning’s commitment to support 10 students from the Scholar Teachers program over six years. The Scholar Teachers program is a “grow-your-own” teacher initiative that brings diverse high school students back to their local community to teach in classrooms where 70% of students are non-white.

Michele Johnson, Senior Manager, ORESU, Corning Community Impact & Investment, said the partnership with ECPS is emblematic of the work ORESU has accomplished in both North Carolina and New York since its inception in 2020.

“Education is one of ORESU’s key pillars, and we knew early on that one of our objectives would be to increase diversity in the classroom,” said Johnson. “Partnering with ECPS allows us to not only help a deserving student complete their education, but to also help strengthen the pipeline of diverse educators in Edgecombe County.”

Loera Valdez, born and raised in the area, said she has always been drawn to helping out in her community and realized in high school that becoming a teacher was one way to do so.

“It was a really nice experience,” she said of the Scholar Teachers program. “I knew right away this is what I wanted to stick with.”

Scholar Teachers receive specialized training in education, including internships with local schools. They complete their high school education with an associate’s degree.

Being bilingual in English and Spanish has helped Loera-Valdez form a connection with students like herself whose parents may not speak English or who speak it as a second language. She recalled an experience she had at the thrift shop where she works when a young boy was serving as translator between his family members and thrift shop staff. When she overheard the boy’s parents asking him to translate, Loera-Valdez switched to Spanish.

“I could see the relief in the little kid’s eyes,” she said. “I’m being there for someone the way I wanted back then. It’s not just teaching; it’s being part of the community.”