Liz Jones
Growing up, my best friend's mom was a teacher, and I got to experience life through them with summers on Lake Michigan, skiing trips, field trips to DC, and so I kind of romanticized teaching. I thought, that's the life I want, purpose and adventure. Right after college, I moved to Hilton Head with no job and no apartment, and I actually did not get a teaching position that August. It felt like this massive failure, it already took me 5 years to graduate, and just not getting a teaching job was devastating, but it really humbled me. I worked 4 or 5 different jobs, all with children, in different capacities. I worked at the Hilton Head Rec Center and their summer camp programs. That first year out of college really shaped me. It taught me grit and adaptability. I was down in Hilton Head for 4 years, and I realized I wanted a bigger pond. I had visited Charlotte and loved the uptown vibe and college vibe, and I knew that I wanted to teach future teachers at the collegiate level. In 2015, I moved up here, and within the year, I was adjuncting at UNC Charlotte. I built my college classroom very similar to my middle school classroom with high energy, going into these different college classrooms and covering the walls with anchor charts and colorful dots, and getting up and moving around. I honestly told them the truth, that if you're not in this for the kids and very little money, then you should probably change career paths now. That's when I realized teaching or influence in general isn't really about keeping people, it's about empowering them. I now have my own kiddos, a first grader and a preschooler, and it's just cool to kind of come full circle. I've worked really hard for that work-life balance, and to be influential here, but also not drain myself here too much.
• National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
• Bowling Green State University
• Master of Science in Education
• Reading and Literacy
• K-12
• Nominated for Teacher of the Year
• Builder's Club (Kiwanis offshoot)
• Professional Development Grant Committee
• Builder's Club monthly community service
• Cool Kids Clubhouse (supports families with pediatric cancer diagnoses)
• Horse farm therapy for children with disabilities
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to leading with intention, investing in others, and remaining adaptable. Building meaningful relationships and lifting others as I grow has been a key part of my journey.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice I’ve received is that you can be the juiciest, ripest, most delicious peach—and someone will still be “peach intolerant.” Not everyone is going to like you, and that’s okay. What matters is leading with heart, staying true to your values, and continuing to grow into the best version of yourself. I focus on making myself—and the people I respect most—proud, rather than worrying about outside opinions.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I recently had the opportunity to spend the day with a high school senior entering education, and it reminded me how important it is to pour into the next generation. My advice is to find your people—those who support you, challenge you, and remind you why you started. Hold onto your passion, but also give yourself permission to explore. Try new things, take on small projects, and say yes to opportunities that stretch you—whether that’s coaching, sponsoring a club, or stepping into roles you didn’t initially plan for. Those experiences shape you into a more well-rounded and impactful educator.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
North Carolina is the only state in all 50 states who has not passed a state budget for education. That means all of our pay increases are frozen. We don't know if we're getting bonuses at the end of the year. I'm trying to get our students to write letters to the state senate, because you can't just take to social media and complain about things that you want to have happen, because that's not where the change occurs. I try to teach my students, like, if you wanted your parents to get you a puppy, you wouldn't go to your teacher and beg them to get you a puppy, because that's not how that's going to happen. You have to go to where the action is going to occur, and where the results will happen. Another challenge is that conference registrations keep going up, and we're trying to work on how we can up the max amount for professional development grants, because as it stands currently, each teacher is able to get up to $350, but these conferences are now anywhere from $300 to $400 for the registration if they're two-day conferences. We haven't upped that amount in 8 years. It's always been $350. Well, inflation and the cost of everything has gone up, so we need to up that.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I value integrity, authenticity, and compassion above all. I strive to lead with heart, stay true to my beliefs, and treat others in a way that reflects the kind of impact I want to have. Growth is also important to me—personally and professionally—because I believe we’re always becoming better versions of ourselves when we remain open to learning and reflection.
Locations
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Huntersville, NC