Brittany Davis received her Bachelor’s degree in Human Services from Gardner-Webb University and is part of our Special Education licensure strand. As an undergraduate, Brittany served as a student aid on the National Labor Relations Board. For the past two years, she has been an Adapted EC Teacher’s Assistant at Carter High School. She chose to be a part of Winston-Salem TEACH because “I have worked in the adapted curriculum and I am looking forward to transitioning into the general special education curriculum. I am excited to start this new chapter in my teaching career!”
Haleigh Horne received her Bachelors of Science in Liberal Studies with minors in Educational Studies, Psychology, and History in Fall 2022 and is part of our Elementary Education licensure strand. As an undergraduate at Ferrum, she was named a Dean’s List recipient for four semesters while attending college and served as the Secretary of Kappa Delta Pi, the Educational Honor Society at Ferrum. She also served as the captain of the Ferrum Field Hockey Program where she received the honors of Third Team All-Conference and Second Team All-State in 2021. After graduating, she worked as a Programs Coordinator for a non profit swim organization, SwimRVA, where she oversaw the Learn To swim and Camp programs. She chose to be part of Winston-Salem TEACH “because their mission most closely aligned with my values as a future educator, and I can’t wait to further my education with such an ambitious program.”
Zyaira James graduated from Franklin & Marshall College with a B.A. in English Creative Writing and a minor in Environmental Studies and is part of our Elementary Education licensure strand. At Franklin & Marshall College, Zyaira served as the Program Director for Senior Class Cabinet, was an Emerging Writers Festival committee member, an editor in FEM&M magazine, and member of the organization S.I.S.T.E.R.S. She chose to be a part of Winston-Salem TEACH “because of their personalized program. Since the virtual information session, I’ve seen how passionate the directors are about their program and their students. I love how the directors are ready to help out with any problem and willing to be there every step of the way. It takes a village. The world needs strong teachers and WS Teach has the best foundation for that. I can’t wait to start this new chapter and meet everyone!”
Julia Junker graduated from Wake Forest University with a B.A. in Psychology and minors in English, Creative Writing, and Sociology and is part of our Elementary Education licensure strand. She is a member of Sigma Tau Delta, the English honor society at Wake Forest, and was a finalist this year in the inaugural Edmund G. Wilson Academy of American Poets Prize. She is also captain of the club equestrian team at Wake and qualified for Nationals both this year and last year. She has worked at Build-A-Bear Workshop for the past year and prior to that was on staff at RED Arena, an equine therapy center for the disabled. She chose Winston-Salem TEACH “because I have always loved working with kids, and this program seems perfect for giving me a successful introduction to the education curriculum so I can be the best teacher I can be!”
Alexis Lake will be graduating from Livingstone University with a B.S. in Elementary Education and is part of our Special Education licensure strand. She was a two-sport athlete at Livingstone, playing Center on the Livingstone women’s Basketball team and also running Track and Field. This Spring, she was awarded Livingstone’s Civitan Club Award, which is presented to a student who has demonstrated outstanding scholarship, citizenship, and character. She was also awarded Livingstone’s College Achievement Award, which is presented to the student who makes the most outstanding single contribution in any field during the school term. Alexis chose to be a part of Winston-Salem TEACH because “I encountered several students in need of special attention, and I knew that the WS-TEACH program would help me gain the knowledge and skills to help provide a better educational opportunity for these students.”
Samantha Reeese is received her Bachelors of Science in Chemistry and a minor in Environmental Science from the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and she is in our Secondary Education Chemistry licensure strand. As an undergraduate, Sam served as a Research Assistant in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, where she measured the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 nanoparticles and wrote an article that will be published in the UNCA Undergraduate Research Journal. She also served as a Teaching Assistant for two years, where she assisted with the lab courses for both General Chemistry and Organic Chemistry. Recently, she was awarded the honor as a UNCA Undergraduate Research Scholar. She writes: “I am honored to have gotten the opportunity to join WS-TEACH. I chose this opportunity because I have always loved school, and my teachers and professors over the years have had an incredible impact on my life. I want to be able to give back to the community and be that person for other young people while also getting the opportunity to teach a subject I love.”
Sam Schectman graduated from Oberlin College with a B.A. in History, where he was a recipient of the George and Carrie Life Prize in History, and he is part of the Secondary Education cohort. Since he was 16, Sam has worked as a camp counselor at Summer Arts, which is where he learned that he loved being an educator. While at Oberlin, he also worked as a COVID substitute and a tutor at Kennedy Middle School in Natick, Massachusetts. He chose to be a part of Winston-Salem TEACH because “I want to be part of a wave of teachers that make a difference in children’s lives while still feeling supported learning how to be the best educator that I can!”
