Carson High School drama teacher Alex Reynolds has been named Regional Teacher of the Year and is one of nine finalists for North Carolina Teacher of the Year.

Rowan-Salisbury Superintendent Dr. Lynn Moody teamed up with Santa and Karyn Collie Dickerson, the 2012-13 North Carolina Teacher of the Year, to surprise Reynolds with the news in a school-wide assembly today.

“It feels awesome. It feels surreal,” Reynolds said after he was presented with the honor.

Reynolds was competing against teachers from the 19 school systems represented in the northwest region of the state. He submitted a portfolio and was interviewed by a regional committee. He will go through a similar process on a state level.

The North Carolina Teacher of the Year award will be announced at a banquet in Raleigh in April.

“He changes lives. He recognizes potential in students,” Carson Principal Kelly Withers said. “He makes them stars.”

This is Reynolds’ sixth year working as the drama teacher at Carson High School. He received his bachelor’s degree in theater education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

“It’s incredibly important to have good models. Teachers look for good examples. To have a regional teacher of the year is important for the entire district,” Moody said.