Rebecca Fenton, an automotive instructor at Marshall Academy, was surprised in her classroom’s showroom garage by Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) administrators, TV news crews, and her students. The gathering was to present her with balloons, cake, a new toolbox, and a $50,000 prize check.
Fenton is the only female automotive instructor in FCPS and has been named a winner of the 2025 Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence. This national award recognizes skilled trades educators and comes with a $50,000 prize for Marshall Academy. Fenton is one of 25 public high school skilled trades teachers across the country selected from more than 1,000 applicants.
“Every thought flew out of my brain,” Fenton said about learning she had won. “I was just like, ‘What could I have won?’ I had applied for this in July, so I haven’t really thought about it much since the summer.”
To qualify for the award, Fenton completed a multi-round application process that included essays and a video submission. In her application she wrote: “Helping students realize their potential and step confidently into meaningful careers with real-world skills is why I do what I do.”
Students say they appreciate Fenton’s approach to teaching. Justin, a senior at Madison High School who attends automotive technology classes at Marshall Academy, said: “She’s super cool, she’s super fun. She’s definitely helped me through a lot when it comes to cars and figuring out what I want to do in the future.” He added that Fenton creates an environment where students are encouraged to learn from mistakes: “It’s all a learning opportunity.”
Fenton keeps up with changes in automotive technology by training on advanced electrical systems as well as hybrid and electric vehicle technology. She encourages students to see these skills as useful beyond just automotive work: “I want them to learn these hands-on skills,” she said. “They can take it out into other trades: plumbing, HVAC. I always tell them, ‘Even if you don’t go into automotive right after high school, you can come back to it.’”
Will, another Madison High School senior taking classes with Fenton at Marshall Academy, said he values the hands-on experience: “I really can’t see myself sitting down in a computer job,” he said. “I could definitely see myself working on cars when I’m older.”
Fenton holds eight Automotive Service Excellence certifications and two associate degrees. She often tells her students not to be intimidated by technical classes: “Don’t let these classes intimidate you,” she said, “because you can do anything you want to do.”
Learn more about Career and Technical Education (CTE) in Fairfax County Public Schools.
