Rachel Candaso is the 2025 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Teacher of the Year, representing Pitt County Schools and the Northeast Region. She serves as the AVID site coordinator and elective teacher at Wellcome Middle School, where she led the program to schoolwide implementation. A proud Teach For America alum, Rachel is a Kenan Fellow, beginning teacher mentor, and district leader in AVID. She has presented nationally and will serve as a 2025 AVID Summer Institute Educator Speaker. Rooted in her Guam heritage and passion for educational excellence, Rachel believes in the collective responsibility to prepare every student for success.
