LUMBERTON — The quest to “effect change” in her world led a Wilmington native to the classroom in Robeson County.

Kaylee O’Rear can be found on the weekdays educating students at Littlefield Middle School, where she has worked for nearly 10 years. During her time there, she has worked with students in grades 4, 5 and 6.

O’Rear told The Robesonian that what sparked her interest in becoming an educator “was wanting to be a part of something greater than myself and to effect positive change in the world.”

“Working with students was the best way to make that happen for me,” she said.

O’Rear told The Robesonian she was employed as a teacher’s assistant in the New Hanover County School System after graduating in 2012 from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education.

“I decided I was ready to teach within the first couple weeks of school and applied to counties on the Friday night of Labor Day weekend,” she said.

“Kendall Hamilton (Littlefield’s principal) called for an interview that Sunday and I have been on Littlefield’s staff ever since,” she said.

But, the job has its own challenges and one way to cope is to simply keep going, she said.

“The most important part of teaching is persistence. No matter what the day brings, and it brings a lot, teachers must continue on with high standards for themselves and their students,” O’Rear said. “The ‘Never Give Up’ mentality is a big deal for educators. Gratification is not instant. We know the effort and time put in is for our kids, the future of their communities, and the world.”

Those challenging times also have taught her a lesson of her own, which she continues to use to overcome them.

“The biggest, most basic lesson that I continue to work on would be ‘just breathe,’” she said.

“It is crazy how quickly we forget to do a basic human function. In times of great stress, and what appears to be insurmountable challenges, the ability to step back, take a deep breath, and know you are a human being trying to do your best. That is a lesson I have to review often,” O’Rear said.

The educator told The Robesonian she enjoys working with her students and helping them realize their value and potential.

“My favorite part of teaching is helping students see their greatness. Every human has greatness,” she said.

“For me, it is that moment when you see a student grasp what, previously, they thought could never be understood or expressed. It’s that first-step, first-laugh, first-word feeling that families have with their infants I am blessed to experience that with students,” O’Rear added.

O’Rear also wished to share a statement with educators and the public.

“Humbly, I implore our community, its leaders, families, students, and the educators that provide for our future to hold strong in your place as members of this one team,” she said. “We are the village that it takes to raise one child. We must work together for the greatest cause, the future of our students. In this, there is no one without the other.”

She also wished to share a special word of encouragement to future educators about their impact on the lives of their students.

“For all my future educators, I say it takes one, one smile, one moment of understanding, one chance of compassion, one student, one class period, one day, one step forward,” O’Rear said. “Focus on the ‘one’ and it will multiply.”

When the Lumberton resident is not teaching, she told The Robesonian she enjoys getting “lost” in a good book.