Charlotte Teacher Gets ‘Educator of Year’ Award for Student Support Program Helping 3,000 Kids

At Ransom Middle School, Elijah Watson clinched the top teaching prize by starting STARS: a program that's changed the lives of thousands of Charlotte students through tutoring and guidance.

"I was really, really surprised, honored, and humbled," said Watson, according to WCCB Charlotte.

STARS blends schoolwork support with real-world wisdom. Students find both academic aid and life coaching through Watson's creation, which started small but spread fast.

"I feel my true strength is giving a child hope and also seeing the greatness in every child," Watson said. He builds student success by staying steady and patient with each kid who walks through his door.

A fifth-grade teacher sparked Watson's path to education. She taught him the power of self-belief. "She saw a young man who needed confidence, and by me receiving confidence and also being able to go to programs like STARS it made a big change in my life, and I just want to give that to other students," he said.

Watson keeps close watch on his students' growth. "I want my students to see a person who believes in them and a person who will always be there for them, and also somebody who gives them unconditional love," Watson said.

His work stretches past classroom walls into neighborhood streets. "Greatness means being a great person in your community. We want our students to see us doing what we want them to do in the future," he said.

This recognition marks a turning point. His STARS program now touches thousands of young minds across Charlotte, growing bigger each year.