Inspiring Confidence, Culture,
& Connection

Where Language Becomes Confidence

How Spanish Instructor Ashley Bizzell Inspires Growth, Courage, and Connection at Carteret CC

When you meet Ashley Bizzell, you feel it instantly. The encouragement, the sincerity, and the belief she has in every student who walks through her door. As Carteret Community College’s Spanish Instructor, Ashley has a gift for helping students find confidence in a place where many often feel uncertain. She says the most rewarding moments are the ones when a student’s eyes light up, the self doubt fades, and they realize, “I can really do this.”

Ashley’s classroom is more than a place to learn Spanish. It is a space where students grow personally and professionally. She loves helping them develop stronger communication skills, appreciate different cultures, and unlock new academic and career opportunities. Whether she is guiding someone through registration or helping them plan for a future university transfer, Ashley meets every student exactly where they are, offering support with patience, kindness, and genuine care.

While she advises students on all transfer pathways, Ashley holds a soft spot for the Bronco Benefit program, a partnership that provides guaranteed admission to her alma mater Fayetteville State University. As a proud FSU graduate, she knows firsthand how meaningful that opportunity can be and loves seeing her students consider a school that played such an important role in her own journey. Though it is not the only pathway she champions, it is one she speaks of with heartfelt gratitude.

A Heart for Service and Sisterhood

Ashley’s leadership extends far beyond her classroom. As a devoted member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, she embodies the sorority’s values of service, empowerment, and community uplift. Those same values show up in the way she teaches, the way she advises, and the way she shows up for others. Always ready to help. Always ready to support.

One of Ashley’s favorite moments each year is the college’s Taste of the South, an event that blends southern tradition, culinary artistry, and community connection. She loves watching Carteret’s culinary students pour their creativity into a full menu, from signature drinks to unforgettable desserts, transforming food into a celebration of culture, legacy, and freedom.

Words Ashley Lives By

When students come to her for encouragement, Ashley often shares a line that speaks to her soul:
“Long live the rose that grew from concrete when no one else ever cared.” Tupac Shakur

For her, it is a reminder that strength grows in unexpected places and that every student has the power to rise, even through the toughest challenges. Her advice is simple but powerful.
Be greater than your fear. Relax, relate, release, and do not give up.

A Little More About Ashley

Away from work, Ashley enjoys the simple peace of swimming, a hobby that clears her mind. She is an avid reader and frequently recommends Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi for its beautiful storytelling. And if her life had a theme song, it would be Beyoncé’s “Formation,” bold, confident, and unstoppable, just like Ashley.

Warm, kind, and deeply passionate about student success, Ashley Bizzell pours her heart into everything she does at Carteret Community College. Through language, culture, and genuine connection, she helps students find the courage to believe in themselves, and that belief often becomes the spark that changes everything.