By The Epoch Times | Created at 2026-09-15 18:21:37 | Updated at 2026-09-15 19:15:17
1 hour ago
First Lady Melania Trump meets with students at Mountain View Elementary School in Jefferson, N.C., on Sept. 15, 2026. Kent Nishmura-Pool/Getty Images
When Hurricane Helene hit western North Carolina two years ago, learning was put on hold as communities endured the catastrophe and helped folks get back on their feet.
More than 100 people lost their lives and thousands more went without power, water, and communications. Mountain View Elementary School was converted into a distribution center for food and supplies.
“As the water levels rose, all of you stepped up for one another,” First Lady Melania Trump told a packed auditorium of students, teachers, and administrators at the school on Sept. 15, nearly two years after the disaster.
She visited the area with her husband, President Donald Trump, in January 2025.
“Your school is more than a place to learn. It turned into a lifeline,” she said.
“I’m so proud of all of you,” she added. “Your story is incredible. North Carolina is the definition of resilience.”
The damage was repaired, and students settled back into their routines.
In the months that followed, Ashe County became one of the highest-achieving districts in the state despite its low-income population. Two teachers received national recognition. Its commitment to strong rural STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) is a particular point of pride for educators, students, and families there.
“Where you live does not limit what you learn, create, or become,” said Mountain View Principal Jerry Graybeal.
Ashe County School District Superintendent Eisa Cox added, “We do not believe that geography, income, or circumstances should determine a child’s future.
“What I remember most is not the devastation. It was people. It was neighbor helping neighbor. We often talk about resiliency and what it means. But we saw it right here in Ashe County.”
The district serves about 2,900 students across six schools in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Every student there is eligible for free meals at school. It finished the 2025-2026 academic year in the top 10 for academic performance and second in the northwestern region of North Carolina.
It had a 91 percent graduation rate, and 97 percent of the Class of 2026 earned “Diploma Plus” honors for competing college credits.
School leaders noted that the district now has an Artificial Intelligence literacy curriculum that includes elementary school grades. The larger STEM program there will also provide instruction on agriculture and other industries specific to that region of North Carolina.
Cox said these initiatives are not just “technology for technology’s sake,” but to prepare students to solve problems, including disaster preparedness, with AI and other tools, and to strengthen local communities.
The first lady challenged the young students to face the future with the same spirit they displayed in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
“We may face hard times, but we do not fail,” she said. “Stay curious and always challenge yourself.”
