ROCK HILL, S.C. -- A Rock Hill teacher is a finalist for South Carolina teacher of the year.
If she wins, she gets $25,000 and a one-year residency at Winthrop Uiniversity to help improve education.
Julia Marshall's students sing her praises.
"She's a great teacher and she helps you with the work," said one student.
"She kind of treats us like a family instead of her team," said another.
Marshall, a fifth-grade teacher at Oakdale Elementary School, has taught for 25 years. She started in Fort Mill and then moved to Rock Hill. She has always worked with at-risk children.
"I feel like I'm really making a difference here," she said.
The secret to her success: love the kids like your own.
She teaches and she hugs. In the classroom, she's part mentor and part mom.
"You play mom to these kids. You do what they need you to do, and for some of them it's just playing cheerleader," Marshall said.
These days Marshall is playing cheerleader for one student in particular. Rebecca Grunther is a student-teacher who readily admits she wasn't sure about teaching until she met Marshall.
"I had no idea what I was getting into," Grunther said. "Through this classroom I found out I think this is where I belong now. She's made me believe that I can do this."
That is Marshall's big lesson: believe in yourself. Marshall also asks her students to dream big.
"What would you do if you were in charge of the world?" she says.
Now, she has her own big dream: win state teacher of the year and she can start a new lesson plan.
"I want to start growing teachers so that they can replace me," Marshall said.
Marshall is one of five teachers up for the award. The winner will be announced on April 28.
