Jane F. Wilborn

Year Inducted: 2015

Jane F. Wilborn is a native of Wilkes County. She graduated from Lincoln Heights High School, attended Livingston College and graduated in 1967 from Winston-Salem State University with a bachelor's degree. Ms. Wilborn began her employment with Wilkes County Schools in 1976 after teaching in Virginia for a few years. Ms. Wilborn retired from the Wilkes County School System in 2003 after 26 years of service.

Ms. Wilborn began teaching for Wilkes County Schools at Moravian Falls Elementary under the administration of Coleen Bush. She taught all grades, first through fifth. Her teaching style was different, as she first taught students the importance of respect. Upon entering her classroom, students were asked to make eye contact and greet her with a friendly “Good Morning!” Students were also taught how to clearly project their voice during presentations and hold their head high and their shoulders back. Year after year, Ms. Wilborn was known as having the most well-behaved class in the school.

Ms. Wilborn’s commitment to children did not stop at the end of the school day. During her years in the classroom, she volunteered at Lincoln Heights which, as a segregated school, closed in 1968. She volunteered her Saturday mornings tutoring children who needed that little extra help and attention. Ms. Wilborn has touched many lives of the young disadvantaged population while she instilled the values of hard work and excellence in education. It is through these high expectations the students of Ms. Wilborn knew learning was a privilege and could take them far along life’s pathway.

Ms. Wilborn is an active member of AME Zion Church. She serves as a representative for the church, attends conventions and volunteers for community projects. She is the chairperson for the AME Zion Hill/Rickards Chapel Scholarship Committee. Ms. Wilborn is also involved in numerous organizations including: Chairmanship of Jamaican Workers, Treasurer for the Roots of Love, and Treasurer of the Judy Barber Tribe. The Judy Barber Tribe preserves the history of slavery in the Appalachian Mountains. She also played an instrumental role in creating the Appalachian State University History Museum where she helped in the establishment of an authentic log cabin on campus. Ms. Wilborn also serves on the North Wilkesboro Adjustment Board and is a Commissioner for the North Wilkesboro Housing Authority.

A former principal at Moravian Falls Elementary School, Mrs. Peggy Bryan, made this statement about Ms. Wilborn: “I can say, without any hesitation, that she is an excellent teacher. She is enthusiastic, bright, energetic and sincere in her belief that all children can learn. Jane is prompt, conscientious, hard-working and always gives 110% to whatever job or activity in which she is involved. Ms. Wilborn served in many leadership roles while I was her principal and was an active leader in all school projects. She was respected and admired by her colleagues, students, and parents."