BRIEF BIO
"Kristen brings her experience as an Academically and Intellectually Gifted Teacher into every aspect of her professional endeavors. As an award winning educator for almost ten consecutive years, she has learned how to be patient, detail oriented, proactive and a strong advocate for students, teachers and parents. Kristen branched out while taking on her full time career as a teacher, wife, and mother and became the founder and CEO of Captivated Photography in 2015 after teaching herself the art of photography, marketing, and professional editing in Lightroom and Photoshop. Since it's inception, her client satisfaction rating has been 5-star reviewed time and time again, and finds pride in attaining 100% client satisfaction for every single session and event coverage."
Kristen is originally from Brookfield, Connecticut, where she grew up with her parents, her two older sisters and two younger brothers. She has since lived in Pennsylvania, Australia, South Carolina, coastal North Carolina and now has planted roots in the best of all places, Wake County, North Carolina. She has searched far and wide for the unique and necessary characteristics that make a location be a forever home. Great schools, strong sense of community, arts and diverse experiences all mixed together to create this perfect community she now is lucky enough to call home. She wasn't raised in Wake County but she got here as fast as she could!
PROFESSIONAL RESUME
ACHIEVEMENTS & AWARDS
*Teacher of the Year Finalist at Cedar Fork Elementary (2017)
*Dixon Elementary's Tech Savvy Teacher of the Year (2015-16)
*Dr. Adam Dryer Award for Demonstrated Excellence in the Teacher Education Program at King's College (2008)
*Dean's List (September 2004-December 2008)
*Aquinas Honor Society & Kappa Delta Pi Honor Society Inductee (April 2008)
FORMAL EDUCATION
King's College, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711
Bachelor of Arts Degree, 2008
Majors: Elementary & Early Childhood Education
Graduated Suma Cum Laude, Overall GPA 3.81
University of Wollongong, Australia
Semester Abroad Program
February 2006-June 2006
Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC 28723
Add on Certificate, Masters Level
Academically and Intellectually Gifted
Overall GPA: 4.0
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Founder & CEO of Captivated Photography- www.captivatednc.com (Jan. 2015-Present)
Photographer: Self taught the art of photography through tireless dedication and passion for achieving stylistic excellence and client satisfaction. Within one year of inception, the company took on leads by word of mouth advertising alone. Serving the military community as a homecoming event photographer, wedding photographer, family and newborn photographer that currently specializes in the art of savoring life every hundredth of a second.
Wake County Schools- Morrisville, NC (Sept. 2016 - Present)
AIG Specialist: Created a new initiative in order to properly serve a recognized needed area of gifted students in grades K-2 and deemed it the Jr. Explorer's Program. A member of the school board was so intrigued, she came to discuss the roll out and hear all about what our school has achieved by taking on this new initiative. Currently serving grades 3-5. Responsibilities include: serving 80+ students, conferencing, identifying, following mandated paperwork procedures and protocols, developing creative curriculum that inspires as well as addresses data based areas of need. Has been asked to represent the #ObserveMe movement at Cedar Fork so that other teachers can come in and see how the AIG classroom is run and creative lessons are implimented.
Onslow County Schools- Sneads Ferry, NC (Sept. 2011-Sept.2016)
AIG Specialist: Split time between multiple schools. Identified new AIG placements, maintained, created, and implimented state wide protocols through the proper handling of policies and procedural paperwork, provided teacher booster shots and led Professional Development meetings, mentored new AIG Specialists, and exceeded expected/targeted AIG growth each and every year. Additional responsibilities included: Chess Coach, Science Olympiad Coach, Academic Derby Coach, Co-Authoring a unit that was presented at the NCGAT conference, and self taught the Latin language in order to support the higher quartile student's needs.
Gordon Elementary Schools- Dillon, SC (Jan. 2009- June 2011)
Teacher: Primarily taught 5th & 6th grade mathematics and science. Had the second highest proficiency rating in the entire county across all grade levels on the PASS (end of grade) state exams. Held mentoring professional development classes the very first year of teaching in order to help support fellow teachers implement technology instruction into their classrooms.