Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Vanessa Chavis, RCC’s Instructor of the Year

When Dr. Vanessa Chavis first started her career, it was at a textile factory in Rockingham that specialized in denim. The job allowed her to utilize the skills and knowledge base she had gained while at NC State University, where she received a bachelor’s degree in textile engineering.    

“I was making samples, creating new materials for new product launches,” Chavis said. “I worked there during the time that stretch denim came out in 1999-2000 and I helped create that fabric… we created material for Wrangler, Lee, and Levi, both expensive and low-end jeans.”  

Although she loved the opportunity to work in the industry, she says that there was often something missing.   

“I felt like if I was going to make a career change, I needed to do it early on,” Chavis said. “I always loved math and wanted to be in a place where I felt like I was actually making a difference…That’s when I decided to become a teacher.”  

Chavis left textiles and went to work for the Public Schools of Robeson County as a math and technology education teacher. She taught at Lumberton Senior High School and Purnell Swett High in Pembroke. It was also during that time that she went back to school to get her master’s and a doctorate degree in mathematics education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.   

She taught for PSRC for over 12 years before making the switch to Robeson Community College, upon getting her Ph.D.   

“I taught here part-time beginning in 2010, and then I got a full-time job teaching math in 2012,” Chavis said. “In January 2020, I became the program director for the associate of science degree.

“I love knowing that I am able to have a direct impact on the community,” Chavis said. “In my current position, I am helping to prepare students to have a better future and a better future for their families… teaching is my calling, it’s like they say, ‘If you do something you love, you’ll never work a day in your life,’ and that’s important and that’s how I feel about what I do.”  

During the day, Chavis says that sharing her love of math is what keeps her going, and being able to see the progress made in a student’s confidence level from one semester to another is the reward.   

“I love teaching statistics and I’m willing to teach just about anything,” Chavis said. “A lot of times students are scared, and I love knowing that I helped them overcome a fear of math and that they leave with a better understanding of math, and some even leave loving math and I feel like that’s success.”  

“Students come in and they are not confident in themselves or their abilities, especially with math,” Chavis stated. “So, when we are able to change that and increase that confidence level with those who may not have been good at math, that shows we’ve achieved a lot. Students know that I can relate to them and I think that makes a difference.””  

She adds, “I’m one of those people who likes to get to know everybody…I have never met a stranger… Students in my classroom may know me from the community and they know I have experiences similar to them… the way you interact with people, it shows if you love what you do or not.”  

Having taught for the public school system and now at the community college level, Chavis says she often sees her previous students and she’s even hired a few of them.   

“I’ll see them in my class, and I’ll say, ‘I taught you in high school, didn’t I?” Chavis said with a smile. “And a lot of my students now work at Robeson Community College and in some cases, I have hired them to work for me as instructors and it becomes a full circle moment.” 

Dr. Vanessa Chavis accepts the award for Instructor of the Year from Executive VP Eric Freeman during RCC’s Convocation held in August. 

 When receiving the award for instructor of the year at Robeson Community College, Chavis says, “I was surprised but felt honored to know my fellow faculty members felt that I was deserving of this award. I was thinking, ‘I can’t believe they selected me’ but it was truly a privilege to be recognized in this way.”  

Her nominators praised Chavis for her unwavering commitment to her students in and out of the classroom and for her support of Robeson Community College, saying “She is a great representation of RCC.”  

“Even in the face of adversity, she continues to go above and beyond for her students, each and every day,” said one nominator.   

“She has a love and passion for teaching, and it shows,” one of her colleagues said. “She’s a joy to be around and her students absolutely love her.”  

“If you see Dr. Chavis, she’s going to stop you and say hello,” said one of her students. “She is not going to pass up the chance to talk to you and see how you are doing.”   

The past year for Chavis has been a difficult one, but she continues to press forward with the love and support of her family, co-workers, and community.  

“My son, Conner, would have graduated this year, but due to unforeseen circumstances, he passed away at the age of 17,” Chavis said. “Conner graduated with honors, he was a member of the Beta Club, the National Honor Society… he was honored during the graduation, and I was able to accept his high school diploma.”  

Chavis says that her son was also honored during the Senior Awards Day at Purnell Swett, and that Mr. Clyde Leviner presented his honor cords to her in his memory.   

“It meant a lot to me to be able to see that his friends wanted to honor him and keep his memory alive,” Chavis said. “His friends miss him every single day… they really do.”   

In 2016, Chavis lost another son, Logan. He died unexpectedly at the age of 4.   

“Logan left a lasting impact, a lifetime of love,” Chavis said. “With Connor, I realized that your children model what you do more than you realize… and Connor was such a good boy, he was generous, loving, and kind…. Both of my children left a lasting impact on me and everyone that they came in contact with.”  

With both her children now passed away, Chavis chooses to remain steadfast in her faith, remembering and focusing on the positive.   

“I would rather know the memories of those kids than to have never had them in life,” Chavis said. “Through hardships, you focus on the good moments, not the bad… it keeps your mind in a good place and it’s something that you can only do with the help of the Lord.”  

Within her grieving, she has found that encouraging others keeps herself encouraged.   

“I try to be encouraging to Connor’s friends because they experienced a loss just like I did… Purnell Swett lost 4 seniors from the class of 2024, it was tragic…” Chavis recalls. “Parents often don’t know what to say to their children when they experience grief, so I try to be encouraging to them and help them.”  

She says she stays active in her church, Piney Grove Holiness in Red Springs, and is very involved with her church family.  

“I teach Sunday School, I sing in the choir, and I love cooking and being in the kitchen,” Chavis said. “I love cooking lasagna, pasta salad, broccoli casserole, potato soup, and baking strawberry cake… it’s what I’m known for at church.”  

In her time off from teaching during the summer months, Chavis loves to travel with her husband and extended family.  

“I make sure that we go on vacations, usually two per summer,” Chavis says. “You need to go out and explore the world, there’s so much out there to see and do.”  

“I’ve been to Hawaii, Cozumel, Niagara Falls, the Grand Canyon, the Hoover Dam, New Orleans, Sacramento, New York City, Napa Valley, Miami, New Hampshire, San Juan, St. Thomas, The Grand Turks, the Alamo… I’ve been to a lot of places,” Chavis said as she laughed.   

“I’m an adrenaline junkie too, I love amusement parks,” Chavis quipped. “I’ve been to the Florida Islands of Adventures, Six Flags over Texas, Disney World, Busche Gardens, Hershey Park, Universal Studios, Sea World, the Schlitterbahn in Texas… I just love it all.”   

Below are photos from the travels that Dr. Chavis and her family have taken.