{"id":361,"date":"2026-05-17T10:05:38","date_gmt":"2026-05-17T10:05:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=361"},"modified":"2026-05-17T10:05:38","modified_gmt":"2026-05-17T10:05:38","slug":"this-wake-county-educator-has-won-honors-as-nc-principal-of-the-year-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=361","title":{"rendered":"This Wake County educator has won honors as NC Principal of the Year"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mariah Walker has been chosen as North Carolina\u2019s 2026 Principal of the Year for her work at Wake Young Women\u2019s Leadership Academy, bringing a top educational recognition to Raleigh.<\/p>\n

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In a flurry of hugs and handshakes, Walker spoke of her \u201cSouthern roots and English teacher\u2019s heart,\u201d coming from an old-fashioned Raleigh with more trees, more dirt roads and more than one K&W Cafeteria.<\/p>\n

Her education career spans two decades in Wake, including four years as principal of the Wake Young Women\u2019s Leadership Academy \u2014 the district\u2019s only single-gender school for girls.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery student deserves a school to grow, to thrive and most of all belong,\u201d she said Friday, accepting her honor at The Umstead Hotel in Cary. \u201cWe are a thread, and while one thread may seem weak, my friend, it is when we weave it together that we create something beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Walker stood among nine finalists from across the state, having been chosen from the North Central region late last year. She joins Elena Ashburn from Broughton High School in Raleigh, who until Friday was the only Wake County principal to win.<\/p>\n

The Wake Young Women\u2019s Leadership Academy allows female students to take single-gender courses in middle and high school before taking courses at Shaw University<\/p>\n

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Before the 2026 winner was announced, state Superintendent of Public Instruction Mo Green praised all nine finalists, telling Walker, \u201cYour leadership embraces students and staff as the complex beings they are.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gov. Josh Stein praised all nine finalists via video message, noting he will press the General Assembly for \u201creal\u201d teacher pay raises.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you succeed, our teachers succeed,\u201d said Stein. \u201cAnd when our teachers succeed, our students succeed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alan Duncan, vice president of the state Board of Education, echoed this, noting a principal\u2019s unique ability to lead young minds through seminal moments.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are all special and destined to be remembered by many,\u201d Duncan said. \u201cWhat a gift to have positively impacted the lives of so many.\u201d<\/p>\n

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This story was originally published May 15, 2026 at 2:40 PM.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Mariah Walker called herself old-fashioned Raleigh and she leads the only single-gender school for girls in the district of Wake County.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":246,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-361","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-read-todays-edition"],"yoast_head":"\nThis Wake County educator has won honors as NC Principal of the Year - Durham Moving Hub<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=361\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"This Wake County educator has won honors as NC Principal of the Year - 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