Scholarship Created in Memory of Beloved Instructor

A Tribute to a Valued Educator and Devoted Wife

On October 9, the Board of Trustees meeting began with a check presentation by Pastor Nate Leonard and members of his congregation for $70,000 to establish a Suellen Leonard Memorial Scholarship in memory of the pastor’s wife and our former sewing and calligraphy instructor.

Suellen Leonard was born in Oak City, NC, on March 31, 1979. From the time she was young, Suellen loved three things very deeply: science, teaching, and the Lord Jesus. Upon receiving a Teachings Fellows Scholarship, Suellen attended North Carolina State University, graduating in 2001, and then taught biology and earth science in the public-school system. She married Nate Leonard, who began serving as Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Morehead City in 2013. Together, they have three children. So, Suellen’s teaching began to take different forms, from being a Title 1 Reading teacher, teaching sewing and calligraphy at Carteret Community College, and serving as a science teacher at The Nature School at Camp Albemarle. Sadly, Suellen’s life ended far too soon due to a tragic car wreck. Through this scholarship, Pastor Leonard and members of his congregation hope that her love for science, teaching, and Jesus will live on.

Pastor Leonard’s made remarks were powerful; he expressed hope and faith that good can come from tragedy.