2024-26 PLA Cohort
Lindsey Arrington
Onslow County Schools
Lindsey Arrington earned her undergraduate degree in Elementary Education with a Certification in Early Childhood from Southwestern Oklahoma State University in 2007. She later completed her Graduate Certification in Elementary Mathematics Education at East Carolina University in 2023. Throughout her career, Lindsey has been recognized for her dedication and excellence, earning awards such as Teacher of the Year and Math Educator of the Year at Southwest Elementary School.
She has contributed to her school communities in various roles, including a Kindergarten and 4th Grade Teacher, New Teacher Mentor, Peer Observer, Summer School Coordinator, and the UNCW Site Coordinator. Before joining the ECU PIRATE Leadership Academy, she was the MTSS Lead and Math Interventionist at Southwest Elementary School where she helped educators better support students’ needs, enhance instructional effectiveness, and ensure all students received the support they needed.
Currently, Lindsey serves as the Assistant Principal Intern at Southwest Elementary School, focusing on grades Pre-K-5. In this role, she is dedicated to creating a nurturing and vibrant learning environment by supporting teachers, guiding students, and building strong relationships with families.
As a Pirate Leadership Academy Principal Fellow, Lindsey is committed to becoming a knowledgeable and impactful leader who grasps the complexities of school operations at both school and district levels. She is passionate about learning effective strategies to inspire and engage staff, students, parents, and community members in creating a positive and inclusive school environment where collaboration and teamwork are at the forefront.
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” ~ Nelson Mandela
Steffanie Barnes
Washington County Schools
Steffanie Barnes earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology/Social Work from Elizabeth City State University in 1993, a Special Education Certification from Elizabeth City State University in 2005, and a Master’s in Special Education from Grand Canyon University in 2009.
Steffanie was WITN Teacher of the Week in 2018 while at Pines Elementary School. She was selected as the Washington County High School Teacher of the Year Candidate for the 2021 – 2022 school year.
Currently, Steffanie has several roles at Washington County High School. She is the Lead Exceptional Children’s Teacher and mentor to beginning teachers. She serves on the Calendar Committee and NC Instructional Leadership Academy. Additionally, she serves as the School Improvement Team Chair and School Testing Coordinator.
Some of her previous roles include serving as a Mentor, PBIS member, School Improvement Team member, and Exceptional Children’s Teacher K-5 Grade Level Chair.
As a Pirate Leadership Academy Principal Fellow, Steffanie wants to become an effective leader that empowers staff and all stakeholders to understand the importance of improving student success.
Her favorite quote is “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou.
John Beaumont
Dare County Schools
John Beaumont earned a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art from California University of Pennsylvania (now PennWest California) in 2006 and licensure in Arts Education from East Carolina University in 2015. In addition, he holds a certification in 6-9 English Language Arts.
John currently serves as the Visual Arts teacher for First Flight High School. Previously he has served his school community as a Visual Arts teacher for all grades K-12. He has also served as a School Improvement Team member, MTSS Team member, district representative at NCILA, and a presenter at NCDPI AIM Conference in 2022. In his previous school district, he has served as a STEAM Club advisor, Science Olympiad coach, and faculty advisor for the Art and Anime clubs, growing those organizations to the highest student membership in the district.
As a teacher leader he has grown and fostered relationships between the schools he serves and local arts organizations, creating opportunities for student-focused arts exhibitions. One such example is working closely with Coastal Wildlife Refuge Society, Weiler Woods for Wildlife, and The Good of the Hive to allow his students to assist artist Matt Willey in the creation of a mural at the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Red Wolf Center at Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge.
As a Pirate Leadership Academy Principal Fellow, John hopes to learn more about how to be an effective leader within both the school and the community the school serves. He believes, as Henri Matisse said, “Creativity takes courage,” and hopes to inspire his students and staff to build the courage to find creative solutions to educational and personal challenges.
Elizabeth Bill
Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Schools
Elizabeth Bill attended the Crane School of Music at Potsdam, NY with oboe and English horn as her principal instruments. She earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music Education in 2005. Elizabeth received her National Board Certification in Early Childhood Music Education in 2014. She has taught Elementary Music in Cleveland and Charlotte Mecklenburg Counties, Middle and High School Band/Choir/General Music in Cleveland County and is currently teaching in Elizabeth City Pasquotank County Schools.
During her teaching career, Mrs. Bill has been awarded the opportunity to co-teach with Methodist University and Gardner Webb University. Her experience includes leading several ensembles including voice and recorder, All County Choir Ensemble, theater club, and Middle School and High School Band/Choir. Her work with the Metropolitan Opera resulted in a sponsored trip to The Met in New York City.
During the 2021-2022 School Year, Mrs. Bill was honored to be chosen as Teacher of the Year by her colleagues. She served as the PBIS Team Leader, Connect Team Leader, Arts and Science Council Representative, Rethink Education Blended Learning Facilitator, DonorsChoose Grant Ambassador, and Lead Mentor for Elementary Music teachers in her district. Elizabeth has led several professional developments for the county in literacy and music education. During the past several summers, Mrs. Bill has worked with the exceptional children’s community at the Extended School Year Camp.
Elizabeth is the recipient of a variety of grants including multiple DonorsChoose grants in the amount of $20,000 to support the arts and athletics. Additionally, she was awarded the Dover Grant 2014, Truliant Grant 2015, the Bright Ideas Grant in 2020 and the Education Foundation Impact Grant in 2021. She is an active member of NCMEA and NEA.
As a Pirate Leadership Academy Principal Fellow, Elizabeth looks forward to gaining the skills and strategies necessary to produce a positive impact on her learning community. As a Fellow, her aim is to advocate for service programs which enhance and highlight all the amazing things that are going on in her current district.
Mrs. Bill’s passion for learning can be summed up in her favorite quote: “Tell me, I forget, show me, I remember, involve me, I understand”. -unknown
Eboni Branch
Halifax County Schools
Bio Forthcoming
Amanda Dillard
Gates County Schools
Amanda Dillard earned her undergraduate degree in Special Education General Curriculum K-12 from Elizabeth City State University in 2009 and a Master’s in Elementary Education K-6 from Chowan University in 2012.
For the past fifteen years, Amanda has been dedicated to teaching Special Education K-5 in a resource setting. Her commitment to her students is unwavering. Currently, she serves as the Preschool Coordinator at Gatesville Elementary School, where she continues to make a difference in the lives of her students.
Amanda has been recognized with various awards. She was awarded the Educator of Excellence award in 2017 and 2024. The exceptional children’s department awarded her the Leadership Award for the school years 2022-2023 and 2023-2024. She was also awarded the Excellent Educator award in 2022 and was featured on Wavy TV 10.
Amanda has consistently demonstrated her leadership abilities. She has served as the positive behavior intervention support leader for her team each school year, showing her dedication to fostering a positive learning environment. Her role as the district MTSS representative for her school further showcases her leadership skills. Amanda’s commitment to education is also evident in her role as the exceptional children’s representative on the School Improvement Team at Gatesville Elementary School, and as her school’s exceptional children’s department chair.
She has been trained in crisis intervention, LETRS, Letterland, Reading Foundations, and trained by TEACH.
As a Pirate Leadership Academy Principal Fellow, Amanda looks forward to understanding the leadership skills needed to be an effective principal.
“Education is one thing no one can take away from you” -Elin Nordegren
Ashley Etheredge
Craven County Schools
Ashley Etheredge earned a Bachelor of Music with a Concentration in K-12 Music Education from East Carolina University in 2013. In addition, Ashley has completed multiple trainings including the Continuous Classroom Improvement model and became an Apple Certified teacher.
To provide the best educational opportunities for her students, Ashley has written and been awarded many grants throughout her teaching career. The grants include multiple Harold H. Bate Foundation Individual School Grants and Craven County Schools Partners in Education grants, the Carteret-Craven Electric Cooperative Bright Ideas grant and, most recently $33,078.00 by the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation national instrument grant for West Craven Middle School in 2022. She has also received Donors-Choose support to bring new technology and much needed supplies to her classroom. She also had the honor of being nominated for the Country Music Awards Teachers of Excellence Award in 2023 and 2024.
Ashley has taught 6th-8th grade instrumental music while also helping with after school tutoring and summer remediation. During her 11 years in the classroom, she has served as the Exploratory House Chair, a member of the School Improvement Team, participated on the School Interview Panel, and has presented at Staff Meetings. She has also helped evaluate local and state data so that she could work collaboratively with her peers to better serve the students. She also took her leadership skills outside of the classroom and was the Head Softball Coach for 4 years.
Prior to Ashley’s selection to the Pirate Leadership Academy, she served as the Director of Bands at West Craven Middle School. Currently, she serves as an Administrative Intern at Grover C. Fields Middle School where she will have on-the-job experience while still working towards her degree.
As a Pirate Leadership Academy Principal Fellow, she is excited to gain a deeper understanding of what it takes to be an effective school leader so that she is prepared to make a difference in the communities that she will serve. She is also very excited about forming collaborative relationships with other fellows in her cohort.
Ashley believes that education is a profession of privilege and that each day there is an opportunity to change the world, one student at a time. Outside of the classroom, she enjoys spending time with her husband Stephen and two children, Logan and Kylie.
Her favorite quotes are:
“Turn your obstacles into opportunities and your problems into possibilities.” — Roy T. Bennett
“A good teacher will lead the horse to water, an excellent teacher will make the horse thirsty first.” — Mario Cortes
Tiana Greene
Craven County Schools
Tiana Greene earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a Minor in Sociology from North Carolina State University in 2011. She additionally earned a Master’s in Higher Ed Administration from Post University in 2017.
She currently serves as the Instructional Coach at New Bern High School, where she serves all content areas and nearly 100 teachers. In this role, her focus is to build instructional best practices cross curriculum, focus on Data-Driven instruction, analyze school data, curate and facilitate Professional Development, and provide additional support and resources to teachers.
During her time as an educator, she has taught Honors and Academic for English I, II, III, and IV, AP Language and Composition, AVID, and served as a High School District Learning Systems Coach working with social studies and English teachers throughout her district. Outside of the classroom, she has served as the JV Volleyball Coach, Assistant Varsity Volleyball Coach, and Assistant Track and Field Coach. In addition to her teaching and coaching duties she has served as the Distinguished Teachers Chair, College and Career Readiness Chair, Yearbook Advisor, SGA Advisor, English II Lead Chair, Literacy Design Collaborative Trainer and Lead Teacher, member of the District Reading Goal Team, and Continuous Classroom Improvement Trainer. She has earned numerous awards both as an educator and as a coach.
She has a desire to partake in the Pirate Leadership Academy and glean from like-minded educators who will help her take off as a leader while being provided real-life scenarios. In every school she has worked, she has been assigned positions of leadership and knows that being surrounded by great mentors and leaders helps her continue to hone this craft.
After spending over a decade in education, there is not a day that she gets up where she does not find gratification in what she does. She feels it is a true calling. While she came into the profession through Lateral Entry, she chose this profession to help students find the desire to keep going. Since stepping into education, she has found a way, every year, to challenge herself and learn something new. No matter how many years she is in this field, she still feels as though there is room for improvement to help build relationships with staff and students alike. Theodore Roosevelt once said, “People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” During her time in education, she has seen this in many aspects.
Bethanie Harman
Pender County Schools
Bethanie Harman Cramer earned her undergraduate degree in Elementary Education from East Carolina University in 2003. Throughout her career, she has worked to serve school communities in Pitt and Pender Counties in North Carolina in addition to Knox County, Tennessee as a teacher and instructional coach. Bethanie was awarded Teacher of the Year in 2014 and in 2019 during her tenure in Pitt County. She currently serves as an assistant principal at Rocky Point Elementary School in Pender County.
As a Pirate Leader Academy Principal Fellow, Bethanie seeks to acquire inspiration and knowledge to successfully execute an administrative role in her school community. She is looking forward to collaborating with her cohort, coaches, and professors on this journey and is grateful for this opportunity.
One of her favorite quotes is, “You can, you should, and if you’re brave enough to start, you will.” ― Stephen King
Kayla Harris
Lenoir County Public Schools
Kayla Harris earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture Education from North Carolina State University in 2010 and a Master of Library Science from East Carolina University in 2013.
Currently, Kayla is serving as a 4th grade reading and social studies teacher at Moss Hill School in Kinston, NC. She works daily with students of all levels and promotes a love for reading and literature through small group instruction and research-based methods. Kayla strives to build confidence in her students as readers and promote literacy skills that will last a lifetime.
Kayla has served as a middle and high school FFA advisor, 4th grade team lead, Science Olympiad coach, School Improvement Team chair, Digital Learning Team member, and beginning teacher mentor. She has led numerous professional development workshops in her district on effective implementation of technology in the classroom.
Kayla was selected as Moss Hill’s Teacher of the Year for the 2015-2016 school year. Kayla has been the recipient of numerous grants through donorschoose.org and Bright Ideas Grant. Her most memorable grants were Craven for Chickens that awarded the FFA program at Havelock High School with a chicken coop, as well as Lettuce for Lunch that promoted healthy eating through raised garden beds at Moss Hill School.
Through the Pirate Leadership Academy, Kayla hopes to gain insight on how to be an effective school leader who puts students and staff first. She strives to learn the most effective methods for engaging students, staff, and community members to make positive impacts in public schools.
Kayla believes that having a positive attitude and building relationships is a foundation for success in all areas of life. Putting others first brings her great joy. Her deep faith in Jesus sees her through the difficult times and makes the good times even sweeter.
She is uplifted by these words, “fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10
Lakeisha Justice-Johnson
Onslow County Schools
Lakeisha earned a Bachelor’s in Nutrition Science from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2009. She earned her Master’s in Public Health from Capella University in 2015. Lakeisha began her teaching career in 2018 and achieved certification through the now-retired Lateral Entry program from East Carolina University in 2020.
In her teaching career, Lakeisha has made significant contributions as an 8th grade Science Teacher and has been recognized with awards such as the Jacksonville Commons Middle School STEM Educator of the Year for the 2022-2024 academic years. She has taken on various roles including Beginning Teacher Mentor, School Improvement Team Member, STEM Lead, Science Content Lead, and AVID Team Member.
Currently, Lakeisha serves as an Assistant Principal Intern at Jacksonville Commons Middle School, where she is gaining valuable experience in school leadership and administration. Her goal through the Pirate Leadership Academy is to acquire advanced skills and knowledge to lead a school effectively. Lakeisha is committed to fostering an environment where staff and students are encouraged to excel and achieve their best selves.
Outside of her professional life, Lakeisha is inspired by the quote, “Those that don’t got it can’t show it, those that got it can’t hide it,” by Zora Neale Hurston. This quote resonates deeply with her and reflects a belief in the inherent talents and qualities that each person possesses, which ultimately shine through despite any attempts to conceal them.
Sherry Parrish
Pender County Schools
Sherry Parrish earned a Bachelor of Science in science education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After a couple of years of teaching high school science, she elected to get out of teaching for a while. A few years later, after sending her first child off to school, she decided to follow her and returned to the University of North Carolina at Wilmington to pursue her licensure in elementary education. Since that time, she has added Math grades 6-8 and CTE to her license.
She has been teaching in the regular classroom for 19 years. She started out teaching Biology, physical science, and earth science in high school. In the elementary setting, she taught 2nd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade and ended this past year teaching STEAM. She has served her schools in the capacity of a mentor for beginning teachers, head coach of Science Olympiad, head coach of Robotics and science fair coordinator. She received the North Carolina Science Teacher of the year a couple of years ago and has been recognized by her peers as Teacher of the Year. She served as back up testing coordinator this past year, stepping into the role of testing coordinator for her school at the end of the year.
As a Pirate Leadership Academy Principal Fellow, she hopes to grow leaps and bounds in her leadership ability, gaining an understanding of what it takes to be a good leader, problem solver and listener to those that she serves. She looks forward to establishing relationships with her professors and fellow learners in her cohort.
She likes the quote by Rosa Parks that says “To bring about change, you must not be afraid to take the first step. We will fail when we fail to try.”
Jodi Peele
Lenoir County Public Schools
Jodi Peele earned her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education degree from East Carolina University in December of 2011.
Jodi taught second grade for one year, and then taught Kindergarten for seven years at Moss Hill Elementary school. While teaching at Moss Hill, Jodi served as grade level chair, was the school Teacher of the Year in 2019, and served on various committees, such as the Summer Reading Program, Accelerated Reader committee, Battle of the Books coach, Relay for Life, and Special Events committee. From July until December of 2019, Jodi worked as a MTSS Specialist for Wayne County Public Schools. Since January of 2020, Jodi has served in the role of Digital Learning Specialist for Pink Hill Elementary School.
As a Digital Learning Specialist, Jodi collaborates with teachers and school staff members to integrate technology into their daily practices, while boosting engagement and morale with both students and staff. Jodi also serves as the school’s Testing Coordinator, MTSS Co-Chair, and SIT Process Manager.
As a member of the Pirate Leadership Academy, Jodi looks forward to developing the necessary leadership skills to become a servant leader. She hopes to gain practical knowledge to become a more effective school leader and administrator.
A quote that resonates with Jodi and her educational philosophy is “No significant learning can occur without a significant relationship.” – James Comer
Justin Roberson
Perquimans County Schools
Justin Roberson earned his undergraduate degree from Greensboro College in Health and Physical Education with Teacher Licensure in 2006. While at Greensboro College he was a student athlete and played football for 4 years.
Justin was hired at John A Holmes high school in 2006 where he taught PE and Weight Training. He also worked as an assistant football coach, Assistant Athletic Director, and head Baseball Coach until 2011.
After the 2010-2011 school year, he was hired at his alma mater, Perquimans County High School in Hertford, North Carolina. He has been at Perquimans since then and serves as the Athletic Director, PE Teacher, and Head Baseball Coach. He was named NCBCA Region 1 Coach of the Year in 2014 and 2022. Under his leadership, the baseball team won back-to-back State Championships in 2021 and 2022.
Justin has worked hand in hand with school administration, central office personnel, and the community to make great improvements to the athletic facilities at Perquimans County High School. Together they were able to build brand-new track, soccer, and football facilities. They also renovated the baseball and softball fields and resurfaced the gym floor. According to him, the vision of the community and athletic department is to provide the student athletes in Perquimans County with the absolute best facilities and equipment possible.
In his current position he oversees maintaining facilities, scheduling games, booking officials, developing policies and procedures related to athletics, ensuring athlete eligibility, handling the athletic budget, ensuring safety at athletic events with local police and EMS, and assigning duties for game day personnel.
Through the ECU Pirate Leadership Academy, Justin hopes to grow as a leader and expand what he has to offer the community he serves to other areas outside of athletics.
“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” -Harry S. Truman
Misty Ross
Duplin County Schools
Misty Ross’s career in education has been characterized by rapid progression and significant achievements. She began as a teacher assistant at Duplin County Schools and, while in this role, earned her Bachelor’s in Elementary Education from Grand Canyon University in 2019. Her dedication and hard work led to a swift transition to her new role as a teacher at Chinquapin Elementary. During her four years at Chinquapin, Misty taught 1st and 3rd grades, showcasing her commitment and passion for education.
In 2022, Misty’s leadership skills were formally recognized when she was nominated by the Duplin County school district and selected as a UNCW Promise of Leadership Award Recipient. This accolade is a testament to her dedication and significant contribution to the field of education.
Misty’s dedication to learning and ensuring the success of others led to her involvement in many aspects of the school and district. She represented her team as the grade-level chair and served on the school improvement and PBIS teams while at Chinquapin Elementary. She supported other teacher assistants and teachers in Duplin County on their educational journeys by providing testing support for the Praxis Core, Foundations of Reading, and Math Praxis for elementary education. She continues this support today. Misty has also led professional development opportunities for her district on implementing the Science of Reading in the classroom, emphasizing phonics instruction.
For the 2023/2024 school year, Misty stepped into a new role as a Beginning Teacher Support Program Coordinator. This role allowed her to continue supporting others and provided her the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of many children. She worked closely with the beginning teachers she served to ensure their success and to walk with them through their first years as a teacher. In April of 2024, she took on the Human Resources Recruitment and Retention/Beginning Teacher Support Program Administrator role, overseeing the Beginning Teacher Support Program for Duplin County Schools.
Misty has been married to her husband, Robert, for 16 years. When she is not working for the school district, she is at Ross Gymnastics, a business she and Robert have owned together since 2010. They have two sons, Gabe and Vance, who keep them busy playing football, basketball, and baseball. Misty and her family are avid Carolina Panthers fans and never miss a home football game.
Misty eagerly anticipates the knowledge she will gain through the Pirate Leadership Academy, aspiring to embody the principles of a servant leader dedicated to creating strong relationships with students, their families, and the community. She aims to grow her expertise in developing leadership skills both within educational settings and the broader community. These collaborative efforts will contribute significantly towards a promising future for all stakeholders involved.
Savanna Sawyer
Brunswick County Schools
Savanna Sawyer earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of North Carolina Wilmington in 2017 in addition to receiving the Academic Excellence Award as well as Departmental Honors. In 2019, Savanna received a Master of Arts in Teaching with a highly qualified endorsement for 6-12 social studies, also from UNCW.
Immediately following graduation. Savanna moved to Charlotte, NC and taught social studies in Union County for three years. She has since moved home to Brunswick County where she continued to teach social studies. During her teaching career, Savanna was a member of school-based committees like MTSS, served as the staff advisor for Key Club, National Honors Society, and yearbook, led PLCs in two different content areas, and served on county curriculum writing teams. Last year, Savanna accepted a new role in BCS and now works as the district-wide Instructional Coach for high school social studies. In this position, Savanna has the opportunity to work closely with almost 50 teachers and administrators. She credits this career move for opening her eyes to the educational world beyond the classroom and her pursuit of an MSA.
As a Pirate Leadership Academy Principal Fellow, Savanna is excited to learn more about the legal and logistical side of administration while honing her pre-existing knowledge of curriculum and instruction and enhancing her leadership skills to best serve her community. She is excited to collaborate with experienced professors and distinguished peers to explore the world of school administration.
Savanna is recently married and expecting her first child this fall!
Shavonda Smith-Jimenez
Hertford County Schools
Shavonda Smith-Jimenez earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from Elizabeth City State University in 2008, a Master of Education degree in Science K-12 from Capella University in 2020 and the Academically/Gifted and Talented endorsement from University of North Carolina – Pembroke in 2022.
Shavonda has been recognized as the Hertford County Middle School Teacher of the Year for 2020 – 2021. She has served her school community as an academically gifted and talented teacher, grade level chairperson, a Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports and MTSS team member, new teacher mentor, and School Leadership Team Processing Manager. Prior to her selection to the ECU PIRATE Leadership Academy, Shavonda was a science teacher at Hertford County Middle School.
As a Pirate Leadership Academy Principal Fellow, Shavonda is looking forward to gaining a deeper understanding of the leadership skills needed to be an effective principal. She wants to learn how to effectively motivate and engage staff, students, parents, and community members in creating a welcoming school environment where networking and efforts flourish amongst all stakeholders.
Her favorite quotes are: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. – Jeremiah 29:11 “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” —Norman Vincent Peale, American clergyman
Daliah Spence
Washington County Schools
Daliah Spence is a native of Jamaica who has adopted Eastern North Carolina as her home since 2017. She graduated from Bethlehem Moravian College with a Bachelor’s in Primary Education and the Academically/Gifted and Talented certification for grades kindergarten through 12th grade from Barton College in 2019.
She has been recognized for her hard work and dedication to the students of Pines Elementary and Washington County Schools. She was selected as Pines Elementary International Teacher of the Year for 2021-2022, Washington County Teacher International Teacher of the Year 2021-22, Pines Elementary Teacher of the Year 2023-2024 and Staff of the Month awards. She has also been the recipient of a Simple Gifts Grant of $3000 for Teacher two-day Professional Development at Ron Clark Academy in Georgia.
Daliah has served her school as an academically gifted and talented teacher and the lead teacher at Washington County Middle School AIG program, grade level chair, new teacher mentor, SIT Chair, active MTSS member, Fundraising Coordinator raising over $10, 000 yearly for her school, SGA Coordinator, Yearbook Coordinator. She also works in the after-school tutoring and remediation program. She is active in planning Parent Nights and has organized an Annual Parent Week in November as part of Parent Engagement and Involvement.
As a Pirate Leadership Academy Principal Fellow, she aspires to become an effective, servant leader who has a clear understanding of how a school system works as a whole within the district and as a sole organization. She is eager to learn how to be an effective leader who strives to motivate and engage all stakeholders within the school community. She believes that there is some level of greatness in everyone. And that everyone has something special to offer to society. It does not matter your ethnicity, economic status or environmental shortcomings, we are all great in our own ways.
One of the quotes that inspires her daily is “Good leadership consists of showing average people how to do the work of superior people.” John D. Rockefeller
Danielle Strickland
Clinton City Schools
Danielle Strickland earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education with a concentration in the arts from Appalachian State University in 2011.
Danielle was selected to participate in the NCDPI Master Literacy Training Cohort 3 in 2016. In 2023 she participated in the SEA Instructional Coaching Cohort. She has received multiple grants from Simple Gifts and most recently received the Love of Learning Grant to attend the Teaching Learning Coaching conference in New Orleans.
Danielle has taught Kindergarten, 2nd grade, and 3rd grade throughout her teaching career. She has served on the school level Curriculum Team, the MTSS Team, the district Curriculum and Instruction Team, and served as a mentor teacher.
Currently, Danielle serves as the Reading Curriculum Lead for Clinton City Schools and the District MTSS Co-Chair. As the District Reading Curriculum Lead, Danielle meets with K-5 ELA teachers and facilitates PLC meetings at Kerr School, Butler Avenue School and Sunset Avenue School. Prior to her current role, Danielle served as a reading specialist for Butler Avenue and Sunset Avenue for about 4 years and worked primarily with 3rd grade students.
As a Pirate Leadership Academy Principal Fellow, Danielle hopes to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to become an effective servant leader. She is excited to participate in the Pirate Leadership Academy Cohort and to collaborate with colleagues as they begin this new educational journey together. Danielle believes that collaboration and communication are vital parts of leadership, but relational capacity is the glue that holds everything that education encompasses together.
Growing up an NC State Wolfpack fan, one of Danielle’s favorite quotes is: “Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up.” -Jim Valvano
Jennifer Walker
Beaufort County Schools
Jennifer Walker earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from East Carolina University in 2008 and earned a Master of Education in Instructional Technology from East Carolina in 2010. She has worked for Beaufort County Schools for 16 years where she has taught Kindergarten for 13 years and served as the Media Coordinator and Instructional Technology leader for 3 years. Her current role is the Assistant Principal Intern at Chocowinity Primary School. Jennifer was awarded Teacher of the Year in 2013 at Eastern Elementary School, and she served as head Instructional Technology leader for Beaufort County Schools in the 23-24 school year.
Jennifer held a variety of leadership roles in her tenure at Eastern Elementary. Jennifer served on the School Improvement Team for numerous years, and led the Family and Community Committee at EES, an important role for her in connecting families and the community. She served on the Bright Futures board for 10 years connecting local businesses and churches helping fulfill needs for the school and students.
Jennifer taught Kindergarten for 13 years and led her grade level in technology, integrating 21st Century skills into the classroom. Jennifer served as Media Coordinator and Instructional Technology Leader, which prompted her journey to school leadership. Jennifer helped Eastern Elementary become an Apple School and has successfully put them on the path towards STEM School of Distinction. She has served as the STEM leader for Eastern for the past 3 years, helping procure funds and necessary resources allowing Eastern to integrate STEM into the classrooms, creating a STEM culture within the school.
As an East Carolina University Pirate Leadership Academy Fellow, Jennifer is looking forward to learning and growing professionally, particularly in a leadership role in Beaufort County. She is eager to gain knowledge and make connections to collaborate across the Northeast region. She believes this program will help strengthen her goals and leadership skills to become successful, impacting her students, staff, parents, and the community in Beaufort County.
Her favorite quote is from Steve Jobs, “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” Jennifer has a passion, a drive, and a love for what she does and is excited to continue her journey in education and growing in a role that she truly loves.