Weaver Awards
Wilkes County 2023
in partnership with the 
Congratulations to the 2023 Wilkes Weaver Awardees!
Some people weave our communities together. They are the ones we all trust, the people we count on to get things done and to see the best in everyone. They weave a strong social fabric that makes us proud of where we live. Here’s our chance to recognize and celebrate the weavers of Wilkes County.
Why have Weaver Awards?
We all know neighbors who show up, again and again, to make our community better. They seem to know everyone. They inspire us to support each other. They see a need and fill it. They often don’t have big titles or receive grants for their work. We count on them and yet we rarely celebrate how important they are to us.
The Wilkes Weaver Awards show our appreciation and give them $5000 each to complete projects that weave a tighter community. A group of Wilkes neighbors reviewed 50 applications and recommendations and selected 20 Awardees, each with a project that brings our community together to support our children’s success in school and life.
The Aspen Institute in Washington, DC, designed the Weaver Awards as a way to heal the divides in our country and help us build trust in each other from the ground up. The Walton Family Foundation sponsored the Wilkes Awards to further its goal of giving every student a pathway to a secure and fulfilling life.
Meet the Awardees
Kayla McCoy
Wilkes County
When Kayla was in 5th grade, she had an outdoor class that opened her eyes to the natural world. She wants all children in Wilkes to have that experience and will use her award to build a Mobile Soils Classroom in a trailer to teach K-12 students in public, private, and home schools about the earth beneath them.
Robin Harmon
Millers Creek
As a high school teacher, Robin noticed that students who could imagine a meaningful career were more likely to be excited about and do well in school. Robin will use her award to organize monthly student visits with local businesspeople and professionals to connect students to the community, mentors, and their future.
Susan Cogdill
North Wilkesboro
Susan found yoga late in life, loved the community, and became an instructor. Susan will use her award to start a yoga group for young girls as a place for them to learn how to build relationships with each other based on respect, love, and trust. The group will also give back to the community through service projects.
Ken Lyall
North Wilkesboro
Ken learned during his thirty years as an educator that relationships are the cornerstone of any effective community work, particularly for at-risk youth. As Community Coordinator for Wilkes Circles of Care, Ken will use his award to teach teens how to communicate effectively and build relationships as they learn to cook with a professional chef.
Jean Hefner
North Wilkesboro
From her work leading Wilkes Literacy, Jean knows many young parents in the North Wilkesboro Housing Authority want to continue their education but lack child care and transportation to attend classes. Jean will use her award to support tutoring and hire trained childcare workers so they can earn their high school degrees and more.
Matthew Dauer
Millers Creek
Wilkes county has a strong history and connection to music. However, many youth are discouraged from learning an instrument due to financial and social pressures. Matthew will use his award to buy instruments so every student, regardless of life circumstances, can join a band program and have music in their lives.t
Luke Jarvis
Wilkesboro
After college, Luke worked for a non-profit supporting youth development in Boone. He loved the work, and recognized that kids struggling with mental health issues in his hometown of Wilkesboro had nowhere like that to go. So, he started a youth-led, adult-supported organization, where teens empower each other to lead happier, healthier, and more meaningful lives.
Laura Gentry
North Wilkesboro
For 100 years, the Kiwanis Club has been serving North Wilkesboro in many ways, including helping young people gain confidence and become leaders. Laura will use her award to ensure kids can attend Camp Thunderbird, a leadership training camp, and help local teens launch a podcast that will interview every recipient of the Wilkesboro Weaver Awards.
Ginna Staley
Wilkesboro
Ginna will use her award to weave her community together through play. As a speech pathologist working with children, she found that Legos opened kids up to connect and talk. Ginna plans to create an after-school Lego club that meets once a month, where children and parents can build bonds as they play.
Amanda Pendry
Millers Creek
Amanda works to make sure that time after school is as rich as time in school. She worked with her church in Millers Creek to build a safe, fun, and affordable place for children to come after school. They play, build relationships, do service, and get help with homework. Amanda will use her award to further enrich the students’ experience.
Takiyah McCathern
Moravian Falls/Wilkesboro/North Wilkesboro
As an Assistant Principal, Takiyah has seen the power of sports to help students develop discipline, confidence, and community. She will use her award to cover physicals, athletic shoes, and equipment to give every kid an opportunity, no matter their circumstances. She also wants to help families feel that their kids’ schools are a trusted partner in and out of class.
Belinda Marino
Mulberry
Belinda knows that science should be exciting, empowering, and fun. As a 5th-grade science teacher at Mulberry Elementary, she is constantly finding new ways to teach STEM and will use her award to purchase creative tools for hands-on learning, from weather kits to magnetic marble sets, to explain how the weather impacts the local community or experiment with physics.
Olivia Walsh
Wilkes County
Many people in Wilkes County worry that their children will not see a future in Wilkes after they graduate from school. Olivia wants to be sure those kids know what Wilkes county has to offer. Olivia will use her award to create a series of free field trips so students see the full range of opportunities where they live and help them grow tighter as a community while they explore.
Denise Sturdivant
Wilkesboro
Wilkes county is the largest county in North Carolina and transportation is one of the biggest barriers to accessing extra-curricular activities for kids, getting healthcare, or attending school functions. As part of St. Paul’s Assistance Ministry, Denise will use her award to support the organization’s program to provide transportation and gas vouchers for families in need.
Jamie Miles
Wilkesboro
Besides being a whiz at Sudoku puzzles, Jamie is a high school teacher and coach for the school’s Science Olympiad team. She will use her award to fund the Science Olympiad team and help kids from marginalized backgrounds join the team and get excited about a career in STEM.
Nickie Brady
Wilkes County
Nickie grew up often going without dinner so her younger sisters could eat. As Director of the Justice Project, she and a group of volunteers provide meals, resources, and support to people experiencing poverty or homelessness. Nickie’s team will use her award to give meals to children in need through the summer, when there’s no school lunch, and help families the rest of the year.
Beckie Spears and Melody Johnson
Wilkesboro
Principal Beckie and teacher Melody are colleagues at Wilkesboro Elementary and know children thrive in school when they feel welcomed, valued, and part of a community. They will use their award to create a culture of connection among fourth-grade students through projects and events, and to inspire families of second graders to feel supported by the school community.
Naing Win
Wilkesboro
As a refugee and the first person of Burmese descent to settle in Wilkesboro, Naing knows what it feels like to be an outsider. Naing and his wife opened Nine Grocery Store to provide familiar foods and a meeting place for all those in need of a community, including many youth who use it as a gathering space to study and connect. Naing will use his award to expand the store.
Deborah Beckel
Traphill
When Deborah became manager of Traphill Branch Library, another librarian told her she didn’t need to buy children’s books, because no children ever came. Since then, Deborah has made it her priority to attract children and families through community initiatives like music night, family fun days, and partnering with schools. She will use her award to transform the library into a community hub for Traphill and nearby communities.
Renee Gentry
Traphill
As a media specialist at Traphill Elementary, one of Renee’s greatest joys is inspiring students to read. She found that students get excited about books when community members come and read to them, since they serve as role models and connect school with home and community. She will use her award to get more books and bring in more readers.
The Advisors
Brittany Brady
Wilkes County Schools
Mike Cooper
Wilkes Community Liasion
Gia Galifianakis
Alquist 3D
Doren Tripp
The Masthead
Ariana Williamson
NC Tech Paths
Hershawna Frison
Weave: The Social Fabric Project
Nikki Morgan
Community Artist/Musician
LB Prevette
Wilkes Community Liaision
Thomas Salley
Wilkesboro Tourism Development Authority
Mara Lynn Tugman
Wilkes County Public Library
Rachel Minick
Wilkesboro Elementary
Frances Kraft
Weave: The Social Fabric Project
Meet past Awardees
Past Awardees come from across Baltimore and are connecting and supporting their neighborhoods in a huge range of ways. Some organize clean-ups, others help struggling youth, some plan prayer walks and cookouts, while still others start parent or teach groups. All help neighbors build a sense of belonging, mutual support, and pride in their community. Many Awardees have appeared in local papers or on radio and TV.
Get Involved as a Weaver
Join with others who care about building trust and community in Wilkes by participating in the Weave Wilkes online group. You’ll meet other weavers, be invited to gatherings, get updates on the Weaver Awards, and find resources, partners, and opportunities to learn weaving skills. You’ll join with neighbors and also meet weavers from communities across the country. It takes just a few minutes to register and become connected to a wealth of people, stories, and resources.
Contact Us
If you have questions about the Awards, want to partner, or have issues using this website, let us know. If you want to learn more about weavers across the US, visit weavers.org