Teacher of the Week: Katelyn Chism

Our Teacher of the Week is known for volunteering at her school and supporting her students outside the classroom. WRAL's Ken Smith was at Mary Phillips High School to surprise a teacher, who prides herself on helping her students achieve their full potential.
Posted 12/3/2025, 2:43:18 PM Updated 12/3/2025, 3:00:07 PM

AT EAST CHAPEL HILL HIGH

SCHOOL. THAT'S COOL TO KNOW.

THAT'S A FULL CIRCLE TO THE M

C ONE. OUR TEACHER OF THE WEEK

IS GOING TO VOLUNTEER YET HIS

SCHOOL AND SUPPORTING HIS

STUDENTS OUTSIDE OF THE

CLASSROOM WHERE MARY PHILLIPS

HIGH SCHOOL TO SURPRISE A

TEACHER WHO PRIDES ITSELF IN

HELPING THE STUDENTS ACHIEVE

THEIR FULL

POTENTIAL

>> GET EVERYTHING THAT YOU NEED

ALL OF YOUR EXPENSES ON THE DAY

WE VISITED MARY PHILLIPS HIGH

SCHOOL IN WAKE COUNTY. DON'T

TOUCH THE SAVINGS. NEVER TOUCH

OR SAVING. CAITLIN CHISHOLM

WAS HELPING WITH THE PROGRAM

CALLED REALITY OF MONEY, WHICH

GIVES STUDENTS A LESSON IN

MANAGING THEIR PERSONAL

FINANCES. HOW DID YOU FEEL

ABOUT THIS? EVEN THOUGH

VOLUNTEERING TO HELP WITH THIS

PROGRAM IS ONE OF THE MANY

REASONS CHISHOLM IS SO BELOVED

THAT MARY PHILLIPS ON CAMERA

BECAUSE SHE GOES ABOVE AND

BEYOND HER DUTIES AS THE

SCHOOL'S SPANISH TEACHER.

WHEN I WAS LEARNING SPANISH, I

WAS LIKE I WANT TO BE ABLE TO

COMMUNICATE WITH OTHER PEOPLE.

>> I TALK A LOT ANYWAYS.

SO PROBLEMS LIKE I TALK ABOUT,

I MEAN, LET'S LET'S LEARN SOME

SPANISH. ONCE CHISHOLM SAID YES

TO SPANISH AND BECOMING A

SPANISH TEACHER, SHE MADE THIS

PROMISE TO YOURSELF. I'M GOING

TO GIVE BACK TO THESE KIDS WHO

WHO NEED TO KNOW A SECOND

LANGUAGE LEARNING A SECOND,

WHETHER IT'S SPANISH, FRENCH,

WHATEVER THEIR CHOICE MAY BE

HAVING THAT FOUNDATIONAL

EXPERIENCES GOING TO PAVE THE

WAY FOR HOW THEY PERCEIVE THE

LANGUAGE IN HER CLASSROOM.

CHISHOLM IS ALWAYS CHANNELING

HER 9TH GRADE SPANISH TEACHER

WHO INSPIRED HER TO PURSUE A

CAREER IN EDUCATION. WHAT WOULD

SING IT? BUT IT IS IN DC HAS.

>> ALWAYS ON OUR FEET IN THE

APPLYING THE LANGUAGE AND USING

IT TO CHALLENGE ME EVERY STEP

OF THE WAY. THIS ISN'T.

>> YOU ARE WRAL'S TEACHER OF

THE WEEK

>> AGAIN, SHE IS ABSOLUTE BALL

OF ENERGY AND LOVE THE THE IN