
Rebekah (Roof) Shaw Named LiveEQ NCEA Distinguished Alumni; Class of 2025
WACO, Texas – Gamecock Equestrian Rebekah (Roof) Shaw has been named to the NCEA Distinguished Alumni Class of 2025 presented by LiveEQ. Shaw was chosen to represent the Education category and is the 10th Gamecock to be honored. The nominees for the award were evaluated based on their distinctive post-graduate success as well as performance in academics, athletics and service activities.
After completing her undergraduate degree in Business Administration at South Carolina (2009), Shaw immediately began working on her Master’s Degree in Business Education. While in graduate school, she worked for the USC Athletic Department as an Academic Mentor for student-athletes, primarily working with the men’s basketball team. Shaw graduated with her Master’s in December of 2010 and began substitute teaching as a long-term sub in Lexington School District 1; the district she grew up in. At the same time, Shaw applied to the competitive Teach For America program. She was accepted, and placed in Fort Worth, Texas.
Shaw taught ninth grade business education courses at International Newcomer Academy in Fort Worth for two years. During that time, Shaw received two leadership awards with Teach for America and served on the Corp Council. She then moved home and came back to Lexington School District 1. Shaw taught middle school business classes for two years at Pelion Middle School, and then accepted a role as Digital Learning Coach at Gilbert High School.
While at Gilbert High School, the school was one of 100 nationwide to pilot the Dynamic Learning Project with Google, Digital Promise, and EdTechTeam. Shaw led this implementation with her school through innovative coaching cycles focused on equity and the impactful use of technology. During this time, Shaw and her mother coached a competitive IEA western team, and some members who went on to be on NCEA teams.
Coming back from COVID in Fall of 2020, Shaw was working as a digital learning coach and was asked to teach a new class called AVID, a college and career prep program. Shaw became the AVID Coordinator of Lexington School District 1’s new early college program, The College Center. She moved over to that role fully the next school year as AVID Site Coordinator and Teacher. Shaw was able to loop with my first class all four years and they graduated this past Spring in 2024 with high school degrees and associate degrees from Midlands Technical College. In Spring of 2024, Shaw “graduated” with her students and decided to try something new as a teacher. Currently, Shaw is an adjunct teacher with Low Country Virtual, an adjunct teacher with VirtualSC, and an adjunct professor for Midlands Technical College teaching COL 105.
In June of 2024, Shaw received the Next Gen Personal Finance – Distinguish Educator Award.
During her time as a Gamecock, Shaw held a 30-22-1 overall in Reining. Her career high of 84 is the highest Reining score in program history. Her 145.5 at Nationals is also the highest ever for the Gamecocks at the event and the second-highest score (for two judges) in program history. Shaw holds the sixth-most career MOPs in Reining (3) and the sixth-most career wins (30).