Christina Stone didn’t become a teacher for the title. She did it because she believes in kids—and she’s spent nearly two decades proving it. Now in her 18th year of teaching, this fifth-grade teacher from North Carolina continues to pour everything she has into her students, her school, and her community. Her classroom is full of bright, curious minds—each with their own stories, strengths, and potential just waiting to be unlocked.Year after year, Christina shows up with the same belief: every child deserves to be seen, heard, and believed in. And since 2014, she’s had Classroom Champions by her side to help make that happen.
From High School Hallways to Paralympian Inspiration
Christina’s journey with Classroom Champions started in a way that feels like fate—but really, it began decades earlier in her own high school hallways. Christina met Lex Gillette while they were both high schoolers in their hometown of Raleigh, North Carolina. Lex was a high schooler just discovering track and field—thanks to the encouragement of a visually impaired teacher who saw his potential. And Christina was right there beside him, cheering him on, sharing classes, and even scribing his biology notes in college before accessible technology was the norm.Lex would go on to become a five-time Paralympic medalist, the only totally blind athlete to pass the 22-foot mark in the long jump, a world-renowned long jumper, and an inspiration to thousands of students across North America.Christina would go on to dedicate her career to supporting kids as a 5th grade teacher. As an educator, she’s dedicated over 18 years to building our next generation of leaders.Christina sports a motivational t-shirt with an inspirational phrase from Lex Gillette.
Over the years, Christina stayed connected to Lex’s journey, celebrating his milestones with his family and beaming with pride as his success grew. So when she saw Lex sharing about Classroom Champions online, something clicked.“I saw Lex posting about it, and I thought, ‘Wait—he’s doing this thing with classrooms? I need to be part of that.’”That one moment sparked something big. In 2014, Christina brought Classroom Champions into her own fifth-grade classroom. And in a full-circle moment, Lex became her official Athlete Mentor during the 2016–2017 school year.
Christina’s first Classroom Champions class with 4x Paralympian and Athlete Mentor April Holmes.
What started as a personal connection turned into a professional partnership—one that has impacted hundreds of her students over the last decade and continues to inspire Christina every year.
Paralympian and Athlete Mentor Lex Gillette speaks with Christina’s students.
These aren’t just lessons. They’re lived experiences. They’re real people like Lex, showing kids what’s possible when you believe in yourself.
Not One More Thing — Just the Right Thing
Like most educators, Christina doesn’t have a lot of extra time in her day. But what makes Classroom Champions work, she says, is how seamlessly it fits into what she’s already doing.From athlete videos to monthly challenges to those priceless “pause and reflect” moments, Christina has found creative ways to bring the Champion Mindset to life—even during busy weeks. “These lessons can be life-changing for some of our kids, because they're experiences that some students will never interact with otherwise,” she shared.Christina’s students participate in a Mentorship Live chat with Olympian and Athlete Mentor Jackie Dubrovich.
The Quiet Shift: When Students Start to Believe
Ask Christina about her students, and her face lights up with stories. There’s the boy who used to challenge everything. The girl who doubted herself because she didn’t always score at the top. The student who never wanted to speak up in class. Over time, she’s seen Classroom Champions help all of them shift in small but powerful ways."I had a student who was always very hard on herself if she didn't do well academically. With the AIG cluster, they do that a lot—if they're not performing top-notch every time, they don't think they're being successful. I watched her struggle through that all year, and then at the end of the year, she passed her tests and was like, 'I knew I could do it.' Now she's in college and doing so well."That’s what Christina calls the quiet shift: The moment when a student starts to see their own growth and believe they’re capable of more.Why Classroom Champions Sticks
In a world full of educational fads and fleeting programs, Christina’s been with Classroom Champions for a full decade. Why? Because it works."It's not one more thing,” she says simply. “It fits with what we're already teaching—but it makes it better.”Through the lens of athlete mentors and monthly themes, Christina’s students learn what it means to set goals, bounce back from failure, and support one another. She’s helping build skills that don’t show up on test scores—but change lives all the same.Where the Champion Mindset Comes to Life
Over the years, she’s watched her students grow from hesitant learners into confident leaders, carrying the Champion mindset into every part of their lives.One student, once known for being argumentative and difficult to work with, now thrives in group projects—so much so that his peers actively seek him out as a teammate. Another, who used to prefer working alone, is beginning to open up, contributing ideas and finding joy in being heard by classmates.These shifts go beyond test scores. They shape how students see themselves and how they treat the people around them.It’s those little moments. Watching the shy kid shine, the struggling student finally get it—and hearing the whole class cheer them on. That’s when I know it’s working.
Students in Christina Stone’s class wrote heartfelt letters to families and first responders in the mountains after Hurricane Helene’s devastation.
The Champion Mindset shows up in big ways too. When a hurricane hit North Carolina, Christina’s students organized a community drive. Another student has presented to the PTO and raised funds to install real soccer goals on the playground. Another, impacted by melanoma in her own family, is leading a school-wide sunscreen drive to support cancer patients at UNC.These are the kinds of leaders Christina is growing—not just kids who can solve math problems or write great essays, but young people who see a need, believe in their ability to make a difference, and take action to create positive change in their community.Over the years, she’s received everything from heartfelt thank-you notes to surprise emails from former students.One stands out in particular: a college student who reached out just to say thank you, over a decade after her experience in Christina’s classroom. “She remembered what we talked about in fifth grade. She said these lessons stuck with her—especially the way we talked about failure and resilience. That email meant the world to me.”
The Champion Mindset: What It Truly Means
When asked what the Champion Mindset means to her, Christina didn’t hesitate. “Resilience. Courage. Perseverance.” Those are the three words she hopes every student walks away with."Starting them early can help them when things get hard or when they do fail,” she explained. “We can still shift that mindset so that when they do fail, it's okay to fail."Christina Stone’s students lit up with excitement, waving eagerly as they connected with their athlete mentor, Olympian Jackie Dubrovich.
With the help of Classroom Champions, Christina is building not just stronger students—but stronger people. She’s planting seeds of leadership, kindness, and grit that grow long after her students leave her room.
