Iredell-Statesville Schools School & Family Magazine October 2016 | Page 9

Awesome Alumni
As a child attending Harmony
Elementary, Shannon Southerland would
come home from school every day and teach
her baby dolls everything she had learned
in school that day. She credits her parents
Sandra and James Campbell for believing in
her and instilling in her that education was the
key to a successful and fulfilling life. Shannon
also received opportunities for leadership
from First Baptist Church in Harmony, North
Carolina where she said “Adults took serious
their roles in modeling what was right for
all kids who attended the church.” After
graduating from North Iredell High School
in 1987, Shannon attended UNC- Chapel
Hill, graduating in 1991 with a B.A. in both
Mathematics and African Studies.

Returning to Statesville to teach
math at South Iredell High School in 1992
might have been due to the influence of a
favorite teacher, Mrs. Leola T. Harris. “Mrs.
Harris taught Mathematics at North Iredell
High School and encouraged me to pursue
a math degree,” said Shannon. “She gave
me a strong foundation in college placement
classes and had high expectations for all
students. Mrs. Harris was concerned about
students’ overall well-being and pushed us
to believe that it doesn’t matter where you

Shannon Southerland
came from, but where you were headed.”

Shannon returned to university
life, graduating from North Carolina
Central University in 1995 with an M.A. in
Educational Administration and Supervision
and became an Assistant Principal by 1996
in Wake County. Moving to Hoke County
Schools in 1999, Shannon held several
administrative positions until becoming
Principal of Upchurch Elementary in June of
2009, where she is described as a strategic
leader who promotes excellence and sets
high expectations for all.

This North Iredell graduate has
very high expectations for herself as she
was awarded the prestigious Principal
of the Year for Hoke County, 2016-17.
Iredell-Statesville Schools are proud of
this awesome alumnus, who is amazed by
“God’s creation…from the enormous beauty
at our fingertips to the advancement of an
ever changing world through technology.
Also, watching children learn and express
themselves when they finally ‘”get it’, make a
connection and the light bulb stays on!”
Iredell-Statesville School & Family 7