CTE Marketing and Business Educator
Career Development Coordinator
Instructional Coaching
Accomplished singer, dancer and actor.
I run a musical theatre camp for kids!
SMACK, Summer Music and Arts Camp for Kids, is the premier performing arts camp in the Charlotte region. I am part of the founding leadership team that established this camp in 2007. I serve as coordinator, creative director and choreographer. Under my leadership, our camp has grown by triple digit numbers and always has a waiting list. Check out our website by clicking the picture above.
I have been performing professionally since the age of 7! I always knew at an early age that theatre would be a part of my life no matter what career I landed on. I have traveled the world extensively entertaining on cruise ships, theme parks, regional theatres and even sang back up for Grammy awarding winning country artisit Lee Greenwood. I count it a blessing to have been so very successful in my previous career and will always consider myself a "performer" first. Above is the promo picture for "A Christmas Carol - the Musical". I am the choreographer, assistant director and one of the "stars" of the show. Here I am dancing with my equally talented husband.
I am a very active member of my church where I serve as a leader in the worship arts music ministry outreach, and serve on the Arts Council. I also lend my choreography talents to the theatre department at CFA Academy and Intune Productions. Above is a picture of my leadership team for my summer theatre program. Through my leadership, I have secured over 100 volunteers for this very intense two week program.
Being a mother to my two girls, Grace and Olivia has been my most proud accomplishment. Every day is like a master class in time management. My husband and I were both professional performers and were so very fortunate to share those experiences together. However, time and age tend to catch up with all of us. We made the decision to pursue other long-term careers and interests back in 2000 and now have careers that we are both equally passionate about. My husband Greg has been a Charlotte police officer for 16 years and we have been happily married for the past 19 years. We share a love for music, travel, and dogs!
I'm a volunteer!
I'm a wife and a MOM!
The REST of the story...
Education was not my first profession. After graduating high school in 1992, I began my college career at Evangel University with a double major in Music Performance and Journalism. I have been appearing on the professional stage since the age of seven and began to feel the urge to audition for bigger and better shows. This decision lead me away from my college experience and into the entertainment industry. I have appeared in many musical theatre productions locally and regionally. I had the opportunity to travel the world extensively as a performer for the Cunard Cruise Line. In an effort to "settle down" a bit, I accepted a 2-year contract to sing backup for the Grammy Award-winning artist Lee Greenwood. I was also featured soloist at Dollywood for many shows including a stint with the southern gospel group The Kingdom Heirs.
My husband, also a performer, and I were looking forward to starting a family and felt a career change was in order. I went back to school and graduated cum laude from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a BSBA in Marketing in 2006. During this time, my husband and I were fortunate enough to be blessed with two wonderful daughters and I started my own private business as a vocal instructor and subsequently co-founded the Intune School of the Arts program at Concord First Assembly Church. I still enjoy teaching a handful of vocal students and running the summer theatre program at Intune.
After my children were through their toddler years and heading off to school I began to pray about what my next steps would be as a mom and as a professional. A colleague approached me about teaching Marketing at the high school level. It was a perfect fit! I spent 3 years in the classroom and transitioned to the Career Development Coordinator position at the beginning of the 2013-2014 school year.
My dear principal at Independence High School asked that I be the lead person for the development of a new Academy of Engineering. Having no real engineering experience, I saw this as a great challenge and dove in head first. I LOVED MY JOB! I loved working with and mentoring young people but I found myself stretched very thin and the commute to the Mint Hill area was no longer a good fit for my family. When the opportunity to teach at the school that my own children would attend presented itself, it sounded like a perfect fit. So with a heavy heart, I left my wonderful family at "The Big I" and began teaching at Bradford Preparatory School.
I have also had the opportunity to use my theatre skills at Independence and Bradford Prep as director and choreographer for the musicals. During the summer I run a children's musical theatre camp in Concord, NC and also utilize that program as a means for providing internships to Independence High School students still today.
I have been married for 19 years and have two little girls, Grace and Olivia, age 11 and 13. I am very involved in my church and my community in Cabarrus County. I count each day as a blessing. My personal and professional goals have always been to live a life that encourages others to be the best person they can be.