Students, faculty and administration gathered in the gym at Macon Middle School to surprise Nishelle Henson, the state’s 2026 regional teacher of the year.
The surprise was held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 13, as an announcement went over the school’s loudspeaker that students would be escorted to the gym for a fire drill — just to see how well they could follow directions, you see – that’s why the alarm didn’t go off. Students filed into the bleachers before Principal Mark Sutton called Henson up for recognition.
Henson is originally from Davidson County and attended Western Carolina University in 2002 on the N.C. Teaching Fellows Scholarship, where she graduated with a degree in elementary education. She taught elementary school for a year before falling in love with middle school teaching sixth grade math at Macon Middle. In 2012, Henson moved to Raleigh to get her master’s in curriculum and instruction from N.C. State University. After graduating in 2014, she returned to Macon Middle and has stayed with the school ever since. Last year, Henson was selected as the 2025 Teacher of the Year at Macon County Schools.
Henson’s husband, Jon, and sons Noah and Jacob showed up for the Thursday ceremony, as did Lydia Lindsay of Swain County — 2025 Regional Teacher of the Year. Rachel Candaso of Pitt County, the 2025 state Teacher of the Year, also attended with N.C. Department of Public Instruction Educator Recognition Coordinator Elizabeth Santamour.
The most recent Macon County Schools teacher to become Regional Teacher of the Year and make it to the state-level competition was Melissa Faetz of South Macon Elementary in 2014. Henson will join a pool of seven other teachers to be selected for Teacher of the Year. In the 55 years since the Burroughs Wellcome Fund began offering the award, no Macon County Schools teacher has become state teacher of the year.
“I absolutely love my job,” Henson said. “I struggled with math when I was in school and love helping kids fall in love with a subject that most have a lot of anxiety about.”
“I am excited for Macon County Schools to be represented,” she continued. “I have taught in other schools in other counties and the biggest blessing that MCS provides is the opportunity for me as an educator to make decisions that are in the best interest of my students … Macon County Schools has always treated us as professionals and allowed us the autonomy to do what is best for our kids. I’ve never felt inferior to anyone when talking about the needs of students in and out of my classroom.”
Henson said an MMS initiative, started by Assistant Principal Christie Barnett, focuses on post-secondary paths for students like community college and university. She said there has been a rise in student conversations about the program and interest in the programs offered through different schools.
“Mrs. Henson is a fantastic teacher,” Sutton said. “Her care, compassion and relationship building with middle school students propels her to the top of her class. We are so proud of her and how she represents all of Macon County and Western North Carolina.”