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Rebecca Fenton walked into the showroom garage beside her Marshall Academy classroom expecting an ordinary day. Instead, she found administrators, television crews and current and former students waiting among customized cars with balloons, cake, a new toolbox and an oversized check.

Fenton, Fairfax County Public Schools’ only female automotive instructor, had won a 2025 Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence. The award provides $50,000 to Marshall Academy.

She was one of 25 public high school skilled-trades educators selected nationwide from a field of more than 1,000 applicants.

“Every thought flew out of my brain,” Fenton said of the September surprise. She had applied in July and said the competition had largely slipped her mind after the summer.

The selection process included multiple rounds, beginning with an application and continuing with essays and a short video. In her submission, Fenton wrote that she teaches to help students recognize their potential and enter meaningful careers with practical skills and confidence.

Her students say that commitment shapes the atmosphere in her classroom. Justin, a Madison High School senior who attends automotive technology classes at Marshall Academy, described Fenton as fun and supportive. He said she has helped him learn about cars and decide what he may want to pursue after graduation.

Justin also said students are encouraged to treat mistakes as opportunities to learn.

Fenton keeps her instruction current by training in advanced electrical systems, alignment and tire-service equipment, and hybrid and electric vehicle technology. She said the hands-on abilities students develop can transfer to fields such as plumbing and HVAC, even if they do not immediately enter the automotive industry.

Will, another Madison senior, said Fenton’s enthusiasm and guidance deepened his interest in automotive classes each year. He said he could envision working on cars as an adult and prefers that kind of practical work to a computer-based job.

Fenton holds eight Automotive Service Excellence certifications and two associate degrees. She reminds students that the automotive industry offers more than one entry point and urges them not to feel intimidated by the coursework.

“Don’t let these classes intimidate you,” she tells them, “because you can do anything you want to do.”