Skip To Main Content

Ava Greenhill DEC

Meet Ava Greenhill

Durham Early College Class of 2026, Efland-Cheeks Global Elementary School Class of 2019

Ava Greenhill is a senior at Durham Early College in the class of 2026. She works for The Efland-Cheeks Community Center in tutoring, assists with summer camp programs, and PORCH. On Monday April 27, she returned to Efland-Cheeks Global Elementary School where she met with some of her previous teachers and toured the school. After high school, she plans to attend High Point University where she will pursue her MBA.  

The image shows a sign for the Efland-Cheeks Global Elementary school, surrounded by lush greenery and a tree in the background.
The image shows three people, two adults and one child, posing together in front of a colorful and vibrant classroom backdrop featuring various landmarks and icons.

We asked Ava some questions about her time at Efland-Cheeks Global and here are her responses:

Was there a teacher or staff member who really inspired you or believed in you?

  • I have a few. Of course Ms. Hines, Mr. Dieso, and Mrs. Shumaker who are still teaching today. I also want to mention my kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Faerber, and my 5th grade teacher, Ms. Moloney. They all supported me and encouraged me so much. I really wouldn’t be the same person I am today without their influence.

Which field trip or special event still sticks in your mind?

  • Probably the Besty and Jeff Penn Center my 5th grade year. I remember the cabins and bunk beds we stayed in and this one echolocation activity we did in the woods one night. It was just one night but it was so fun. Honorable mention to OBX, of course. Then, one time in AIG, we did this “DaVinci’s Workshop” project where we had to design a set, include 3 different iterations of DaVinci’s work with different medias, and write a script to perform to a room of people. It was a weekend trip but still school related! I’m proud to say, I played a shelf.

Was there a subject you loved back then that shaped what you enjoy now?

  • While I have always loved reading, my favourite subject back then would be AIG or Art. With my AIG teacher, Ms. Lowman, she led a lot of hands-on and intensive practices that I miss today. Today, I enjoy project management and still finding ways to be creative in an otherwise dull environment.

If you could give your younger self one piece of advice for elementary school, what would it be?

  • Enjoy it, and don’t change yourself for others. Middle School changes everyone, and if it doesn’t then High School definitely does. Focus on what’s best for you and don’t lose sight of who you are. 6 years go by fast, so just take a breath and don’t be so eager for Elementary School to be over.

We are so proud of you Ava and can’t wait to see what amazing things you accomplish! #EaglesSOAR

The image shows two young women standing in front of a colorful and visually engaging classroom bulletin board.