OUR TEACHERS
At Scholars Academy, we entrust our teachers with being the facilitators of learning and the masters of making magic in the classroom. Our qualified and exceptional teachers are passionate about making a positive and far-reaching impact on the lives of their students.
DR. LAURA LOWDER
- Academy Director & Curriculum Specialist
- Co-Founder of Scholars Academy for the Gifted and Artistically Elite
- B.S. Elementary Education
- M.Ed. Curriculum & Instruction
- Ed.D. Curriculum & Instruction-Educational Technology
- K-6 Elementary Education Licensure
- K-12 Academically Gifted Licensure
- K-12 Reading Specialist Licensure
- National Board Certified Educator
- Full Professor of Education @ Pfeiffer University
- Program Coordinator Elementary Education & Educational Studies
Lead Elementary School Faculty
Mrs. Hannah Hill Park
Academy Lead Reading, Social Studies, K-8 Science, & STEM Teacher
B.A. in Elementary Education
M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction
K-6 Elementary Education Licensure
K-12 Academically Gifted Licensure
Union County Teacher of the Year ’21
Board Member & They’ll Be Fine Podcast Host for NC Association for Gifted (NCAGT)
Mrs. Alexia Rose
Academy Lead Math, Reading, Writing, & Social Studies Teacher
Academy Oh Freedom! Facilitator: Seeking the Stories of the Underrepresented & Oppressed Voices & Navigating Tough Discussions
K-6 Elementary Education Licensure
K-12 Academically Gifted Licensure
M.Ed. in progress UNC-C
Board Member & They’ll Be Fine Podcast Host for NC Association for Gifted (NCAGT)
Dr. Laura Lowder
Academy Math Instructor
5th grade-Pre-Calculus
Academy Learn-to-Read Instructor
Academy 9-12 ELA Teacher
Academy 9-12 Social Studies Teacher
Academy Director & Curriculum Coordinator
Doctorate K-12 Curriculum & Instruction; Online Teaching and Learning (University of Florida)
Masters K-12 Curricuum & Instruction
Bachelor’s K-6 Elementary Education
K-12 Academically Gifted Licensure
Artistic Faculty
Mrs. Kris McConnell
Music & Choir Faculty; Newspaper Club Faculty Mentor; Story Club Faculty Mentor
B.A. Music & Leaders
Upper Academy English Language ARts & History Faculty
Ms. Julianna Tauschinger-Dempsey
Upper Academy Lead Faculty
English Language Arts & History Harvard University Bachelors in Social Anthropology
Manhattan School of Music
Masters of Vocal Performance Vocalist for Zurich Opera
Upper Academy STEM Faculty
Mr. David Nichols
Upper Academy Science Faculty Columbia University Masters of Philosophy in Chemistry
California Institute of Technology BS Chemistry
North Carolina State Environmental Engineering
Wingate University Chemistry Faculty
Mr. Michael Lowder
Academy Scientist In Residence Volunteer Instructor Co-Founder of Scholars Academy for the Gifted and Artistically Elite B.S. Biology M.S. Department
Head of Life & Physical Science @ Our Dual Enrollment Partner School, Stanly Community College
Recipient of the 2022 NCSTA Don Bailey College/University Distinguished Service Award
Co-Founder of Scholars Academy for the Gifted and Artistically Elite
Newly-Identified Spider Species Named in His Honor ’23 Nesticus lowderi
Upper Academy STEM Faculty
Mrs. Hannah Park
Mindfulness Facilitator
Mrs. Alexia Rose
Mindfulness Facilitator
Peer Mentors Facilitator
Mrs. Kamini Wood
Social and Emotional Faculty & 1:1 Support Coach Mrs. Wood is the CEO of her own professional business, as a certified Life Coach.
Foreign Language Faculty
Ms. Bianca Moeller
Spanish Faculty; Ecology Lab Faculty; Virtual Intensive Faculty
WHAT MAKES A GIFTED TEACHER
Our gifted teachers support scholars by implementing the following practices:
- Being able to adjust to unique situations.
- Being able to understand the gifted student, what areas they excel in, their struggles, and using that knowledge to help them learn.
- Focusing on the strengths of students and reinforcing the positives, instead of on the negatives.
- Being able to use our gifted education program to adapt to the needs of gifted students in a nontraditional setting.
- Embracing dyslexia, autism, ADHD, or any other exceptionality, and viewing it as an advantage.
Our academy is full of these educators who are making a difference.
OUR GIFTED TEACHERS AT SCHOLARS ACADEMY
Dr. Laura Lowder selects the best and brightest educators and facilitators in a classroom. For example:
- The elementary school faculty members have received K-12 academically gifted teaching licensure.
- One of our upper academy English and history teachers has a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and a master’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music.
- Within our gifted education program, our artistic faculty teacher has a Bachelor of Music and Leadership degree.
- The STEM faculty all have master’s and/or doctorate degrees from esteemed universities.
- The academy employs mindfulness, social, and emotional certified instructors.
- The faculty is enriched with a foreign language educator who teaches Spanish.
OUR UNIQUE FACULTY STRENGTHS AT SCHOLARS ACADEMY
Our faculty has additional strengths that qualify us to teach the gifted. Some of these are:
- Our staff works academically with pre-professional dancers and are accommodating with their busy dance schedules.
- The education program implemented by our gifted teachers provides learning opportunities for students that are self-paced and on their own timeline.
- We encourage students to dream big, ask questions, express themselves through creativity, and have classroom discussions where they can openly share their opinions.
- As teachers of gifted students, we recognize that learning and school should be fun for them. We strive to bring that energy and environment into our classrooms.
- We encourage and work with high-achieving students so that they can reach their academic goals as quickly as they would like to.
- We have mastered the balance of encouraging student growth at their own pace (in order to eliminate pressure and stress). At the same time, we challenge gifted students to become better through our education program and teaching.
WHY WE LOVE WHAT WE DO
As educators at Scholars Academy for the Gifted, we love what we do. This is because we get to:
- Be part of the process of helping gifted students learn, grow, and change for the better.
- Promote positive change and success among students and their families.
- Remember that gifted and twice-exceptional students are incredible. As teachers, we see the greatness that you see in your child.
- Implement a unique gifted education program that we couldn’t find anywhere else.
- To give your child the education they deserve, contact Scholars Academy today.
