Clarice Surles has been a kindergarten teacher at Berryhill School for the past two years but, this year, took the role of teacher assistant, reaching students from kindergarten through eighth grade. The move, which to some might be considered a step down, was a strategic decision for Surles, whose focus is always on how best she can serve.

“I don’t say I went down to a TA – I actually upgraded because look at where I am now,” said Surles, the 2025-26 CMS Teacher Assistant of the Year. “I believe that I went down to go up, to excel, to push past every barrier and every struggle that my students have.” 

Surles was named Teacher Assistant of the Year at the Gem Awards on May 5. A native of Garner, N.C., she has been working with children since she was in high school 26 years ago. She earned an associate degree in early childhood education from Johnston Community College, a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke and is working toward a master’s degree in birth through kindergarten. Surles also taught for 21 years with the MECK Pre-K and NC Pre-K programs before joining Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.

“One of the things I saw is that being a TA, I’m able to go across the board and help more students that need more small-group time,” Surles said. “Also, I’m able to tutor in the afternoon, and I’m able to still work with my BA (autistic) students, which is amazing. You’re working with them on every skill, every goal, and you see so much growth in a short period of time. I love it.”

Surles said she’s blessed to be able to reach more kids at her school, and she will be tutoring over the summer to stem summer learning loss and bridge the gap for students during the break. Service is also a family affair for her – she and her husband started a faith-driven, humanitarian nonprofit organization, Hearts of One International Inc., two years ago after 12 years of mission work locally, nationally and internationally. Her son is an airman in the U.S. Air Force, and Surles is a life coach and author, with several books available on Amazon.com.

Surles is proud to represent Berryhill as Teacher Assistant of the Year, where she said teachers are enthusiastic and work with character and integrity. Everything is a team effort, including the relationships they have forged with their families, who volunteer and support the school. They were all in her thoughts when she was named the TA winner.

“My first thought was, ‘God, you’re so good,’ and then I started thinking about my family, my husband, my support system, my team here at the school,” she said. “I started thinking about everybody that played a part, every student that I’ve taught, every family that I worked with – I did it for us. I did it for every child that didn’t think that they had a voice. I did it for every student that doesn’t know their identity. I did it for every teacher assistant that doesn’t believe that what we do matters. So this was amazing!”