Douglas, Derr named 2026 Sloan Scholars- Each receives up to $36,000 in scholarships to earn teaching degrees, then return to Lee County Schools as educators
June 4, 2026
Sanford- One was inspired by a mother who has devoted her career to teaching and by the impact her own teachers had on her life. The other watched students return years later to thank her own educator mother for the difference she made in their lives — and then realized she wanted to have that same impact on future generations.
Darah Douglas and Isabella Derr, both 2026 graduates of Lee Early College, have been recognized by the Lee County Education Foundation as the 2026 recipients of the Temple Sloan Lee County Teaching Fellows Scholarship.
The Temple Sloan Lee County Teaching Fellows program was launched by the Education Foundation in 2023. Previous recipients include inaugural winner Anna Marks and 2025 scholars Susann Gonzalez-Ortega and Isabella Miller. The program provides up to $36,000 in financial support to students pursuing teaching degrees. It was created to encourage Lee County’s best and brightest students to ultimately return home to teach in Lee County classrooms after graduation.
Funded by the Raleigh-based Temple Sloan Family Foundation in partnership with Lee County Schools, the Central Carolina Community College Foundation and the Lee County Education Foundation, the program honors the legacy of Temple Sloan Jr., a former Sanford resident who founded Carquest Auto Parts in 1961.
Funded by the Raleigh-based Temple Sloan Family Foundation in partnership with Lee County Schools, the Central Carolina Community College Foundation and the Lee County Education Foundation, the program honors the legacy of Temple Sloan Jr., a former Sanford resident who founded Carquest Auto Parts in 1961.
“Our growing group of Sloan Scholars is inspiring,” Education Foundation Board Chairman Susan Keller said. “They are all exceptional young adults, and because they have chosen to become Lee County teachers our community will be a better place.”
DARAH DOUGLAS
Douglas, the daughter of Michael and Mitzy Douglas, will attend UNC Charlotte, where she plans to major in elementary education and pursue a minor related to children’s literature. Her long-term goal is to earn a master’s degree in reading education before returning to Lee County to teach 1st or 2nd grade.
Douglas said her desire to become a teacher was shaped by both her mother Mitzy, an educator at Deep River Elementary School, and the teachers who influenced her own academic journey.
“My mom has been an educator for a long while, and I got to see the impact she was making,” Douglas said. “I was also able to see the impact my teachers have had on me and others around me. I started looking up to them and when I got to high school. I truly realize that's what I want to do because I volunteered a lot in school and got the chance to be in the classroom and see the impact the teachers have on students.”
At Lee Early College, Douglas was named to the National Honor Society, Events Club and the Recruitment Team. She helped lead student and parent tours, participated in interview nights and orientation events, volunteered extensively in local schools, and attended statewide programs for aspiring educators, including the Future Teachers of North Carolina Symposium and the Pirate Institute for Regional Aspiring Teachers and Educators.
Her honors include the Community Service Award, AVID Leadership Award, and the Lee County Scholars Award. In addition to being accepted into UNC Charlotte’s Honors College, she was awarded the university’s prestigious Chancellor’s Scholarship.
ISABELLA DERR
Derr, the daughter of Ryan Derr and Kisha Timberlake, will attend East Carolina University, where she plans to major in elementary education with a concentration in gifted education and minor in child and family sciences. She hopes to later earn a master’s degree in child and family sciences and eventually become a child and family therapist.
Derr said her mother’s career in education played a significant role in shaping her future plans.
“What led me down this path was definitely watching my mother, who has been an educator for 20 years, inspire the people around her,” Derr said. “I’ve watched her students come back and share their successes with her, and that has really inspired me.”
Timberlake has served as a teacher, assistant principal and principal during her educational career and currently leads Lee Early College as principal.
Derr also credits her experiences at the Boys & Girls Club, where she has been involved for 12 years, with strengthening her commitment to working with young people.
“Having leadership opportunities throughout the club has also been a big inspiration,” she said.
While attending Lee Early College, Derr participated in the school’s gardening, world cultures and sports clubs. Outside of school, she served as a mentor and coach through the Boys & Girls Club, was a Sanford Youth Commissioner, and was recognized as the Sanford’s club’s Youth of the Year and a North Carolina finalist for the statewide honor.
Temple Sloan Family Foundation representatives, Education Foundation board members, community leaders, Lee County Schools administrators and members of the Lee County Board of Education attended the recognition ceremony, held at GiGi’s Creations in downtown Sanford, on May 28.
The Sloan scholarships are structured as forgivable loans, similar to the statewide N.C. Teaching Fellows Program. Recipients are expected to return to Lee County and teach in a public school classroom. After four years of teaching in Lee County Schools, all scholarship funds are forgiven.
Students may attend any state-supported college or university in pursuit of a teaching license. In addition to scholarship support of up to $4,500 per semester, the program includes mentorship opportunities, summer programming and activities designed to strengthen scholars’ connections to Lee County Schools and the community.
For more information about the Lee County Education Foundation, visit www.leecef.com.