This month’s Spotlight on Graduates is Matthew Slota. Matt graduated from Lacey High School in 1998. He was a member of DECA and played football, basketball and baseball at Lacey High. 

After graduating Lacey, he attended Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina achieving a degree in Bachelor of Arts in Education in 2002 . He then went on to Pfeffer University to achieve his Master of Arts in Teaching in 2005. Most impressive is that Matt went on to receive his doctorate of Philosophy in Education in 2010 from Capella University. 

Matt worked as a teacher, Dean of Students, Assistant Principal in the elementary, middle and K-8 levels within the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School district in Charlotte, North Carolina. Presently, Matt is the Principal at Winding Springs Elementary School in that same school district with a school population of approx 750 Pre-K-5th grade students. He was awarded the “Distinguished Principal of the Year”, 2023, by the State of North Carolina, presented by NC SHAPE (NC Society of Health and Physical Education).

Matt credits many teachers in the Lacey School System for his educational trek most specifically Mrs. Bridget Clayton Lewis in elementary and the late Ron “Big Cat” Andrews in high school. Matt lives in Belmont, NC with his wife Dana and two sons, Nathan, 13, and Luke, 10. His father, John Slota, is one of Lacey’s retired police officers and his mom, Debra, are long-time residents of Forked River.

We would like to congratulate Matt on his educational career making a difference in so many lives and for his well deserved award as the “Distinguished Principal of the Year”, 2023!