She earned a BSAS degree in Business from the University of North Carolina in Pembroke (UNCP) and a master’s degree in Technology Education from North Carolina A&T State University. Banks earned her PhD from Capella University in Leadership in Education Administration. Her dissertation, “STEM: Integrative Instructional Strategies Used by Effective Teachers in North Carolina,” focuses on five National Board-certified teachers in North Carolina and their instructional practices used to inspire and motivate their students to learn.