5th Grade

Mrs. Brown has been teaching for 13 years and 12 of those years have been in
the fifth-grade classroom. Her family is originally from the Washington D.C. Metropolitan area, where she earned her Bachelors degree in Sociology and license in Elementary Education at Marymount University. Mrs. Brown loves teaching 5th grade science and tapping into her students curiosity. She looks forward to another amazing year at Youngsville.

Karen Beck has been an educator for over 25 years. She received her B.S. in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from McKendree College and began her teaching career in Illinois. Karen received her M.S. in Educational Administration from SIU in Edwardsville and became a principal. After retirement, she returned to teaching, which is her passion.

Ms. Hedgepeth graduated from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and Secondary Mathematics. In 2016, she earned her master’s degree in Education from UNCP. She began her teaching career in Vance County, where she taught for six years before joining Franklin County Schools in 2018. At Youngsville Elementary, Ms. Hedgepeth is passionate about helping students discover success in math every day. In June 2025, she was honored as Franklin County Schools’ Teacher of the Year. Outside of the classroom, Ms. Hedgepeth volunteers with a local rescue group to help shelter dogs find loving homes. She enjoys involving her students in this work, for example by having them help prepare swag bags for the annual Turkey Day 5K race. As a proud product of North Carolina public schools, Ms. Hedgepeth is dedicated to giving back to the same system that shaped her.