The North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges announced the winners of the annual faculty and staff awards, which recognize excellent performance and commitment to the community college mission.
Jere Miles
Jere Miles, Lead Instructor of Information Technology at Wilkes Community College, has been selected for the 2024 Excellence in Teaching Award. The Excellence in Teaching Award provides statewide recognition of faculty members who exemplify the highest quality and standards of instruction throughout the System.
“It’s so rewarding to work with students every day and know that I’m helping to change their lives. It’s why we do this,” Miles said. “Students are successful because of some sort of support structure, whether it’s their family or significant other, and we need to build relationships with these students so that if they don’t have that maybe we can step in and fill that gap, so they do achieve the success they’re after.”
Kasain Tillman, a student at Wilkes Community College, said Miles really gets to know his students. “He’s very into students’ lives and understands everyone learns at a different rate. Some can read a book and that’s all they need. Some have to see it. Some have to be hands on. He does it all,” Tillman said.
Joe Exposito, Dean of Business and Public Service Technologies at Wilkes Community College stated, “The only thing stronger than Jere’s work ethic is his humility. Jere is unflappable and tireless in his pursuit to improve the quality and level of learning for the students in his program. We are very fortunate to have Jere here at Wilkes Community College.”