Meet the Virtual I-SS Teachers
Amanda Sarver
Spanish I and II
Mrs. Sarver has a Bachelor's degree in Secondary Education from Slippery Rock University and a Master's degree from Western Carolina University. Amanda began her teaching career in Frederick Co, Virginia then moved to North Carolina in 2007. She has been teaching for over 15 years at the middle and high school levels. Mrs. Sarver enjoys teaching Spanish and sharing her love of the culture with her students.
TBD
Interior Design
Heather Doughtery
Chemistry
Heather has a Bachelor's of Science in Science Education and a Bachelor's of Arts in Chemistry from NCSU as well as a Master's of Education in Teacher Leadership from UOP. After working in the restaurant industry and becoming a mom, Heather began her teaching career in Asheville, NC in 2014. Her family relocated to Statesville in 2019 and she became a Viking at South Iredell. Her passion is Chemistry and Physics and she is determined to pass that love onto her students.
Michelle Beck
Math II and Math IV
8th Grade Math
Michelle graduated in from NIHS in 2007. She was a NC Teaching Fellow and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from UNC-Greensboro. She also has her Master of Arts in Instructional Technology from Appalachian State University. She has taught for Iredell-Statesville schools since 2011 and spent 7 years at CCTL Early College. She now teaches online for NCVPS and Virtual Iredell-Statesville Schools. She is married to her high school sweetheart and they have four children.
Alicia Conklin
Math III
Alicia has a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Mathematics Instruction from Kent State University in Kent, Ohio.
She has taught high school mathematics for the last 14 years. She currently works as a High School Instructional Math Coach in Iredell County. Alicia has provided insight to the Iredell County High School Math Curriculum Guides and worked in collaboration with the state to develop instructional frameworks and resources for various high school math courses and has been a presenter at NCCTM. She is married to Benjamin Conklin (a Social Studies teacher at WIHS and fellow VISS Instructor) and they have 2 children.
Paula Dusharm
Anatomy Honors
Biology
As a Biology major and a Certified Medical Technologist( ASPC), I have extensive experience in the medical field concentrating on the specialties of Chemical, Urinary and Hematological analysis of blood and how it correlates to disease. I have crossmatched blood in a Blood Bank and worked in the Microbiology department of a local hospital for many years. My teaching experience includes teaching Science at Lakeshore Middle School. I also have taught Biology as well as Anatomy and Physiology at Lake Norman High School. I spend my spare time traveling to the mountains with my two aussiedoodles to camp hike, kayak, bike and explore nature.
Sandra McAuley
Math I
Sandra has a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Winston-Salem State University.
She has been teaching Mathematics for the last 20 years. She currently teaches Honors Math 1, Honors Advanced Functions & Modeling, and Honors Pre-Calculus. She has taught all levels of high school mathematics as well as 7th and 8th grade mathematics. She has provided insight to the county curriculum guide for the Math 1, 2, 3, AFM and Precalculus. She also is responsible for designing and writing the county 7th grade online math course.
Emily Mathew
AP Human Geography
Emily has a Bachelor’s of Art Degree in History and a minor in Secondary Education from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Emily is a Mooresville native and graduated from the Iredell Statesville Schools System before returning to teach at West Iredell High School and her alma mater, Lake Norman High School. She loves all things history and helping students understand how the world is interconnected with the past.
Christina Zanotti
English Language Arts
Catherine Baker
English II
Catherine Baker earned her undergraduate degree in Communications concentrating in journalism from Appalachian State and a Master of Arts in Teaching (Secondary Education English) from UNC-Charlotte. She has been with Iredell Statesville Schools since 2010 teaching all levels of high school English. She is entering her 7th year teaching face to face, but she is also going into her third year teaching virtually. Catherine has served as a Curriculum Development Leader for eleventh grade for ISS, and she has written the English I and English II curriculum for VISS. She plan to always continue her education while also caring for her husband, two children, and two pugs.
Crystal Hunsucker
Middle School Math 6th, 7th and 8th
Crystal has a Bachelor of Arts in Middle Grades Education with concentrations in Science and Language Arts from Lenoir-Rhyne University as well as a Master’s in Library Science from Appalachian State University. She has over a decade of experience teaching science and math to all levels from elementary to high school. She resides in Catawba County with her husband and two children, where she began her teaching career. In 2015, she began serving in Iredell County as a Media Coordinator and later returned to the classroom at Oakwood IB. She hopes to help VISS students build confidence in their math skills and to foster a love for the subject.
Don Beatty
Drafting I
Mr. Beatty holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree from Gardner-Webb University and has been teaching drafting at Lake Norman High since 2007. He began his drafting career in 1988 spending the majority of his pre-teaching career with large telecommunications companies as a mechanical designer/project manager developing satellite earth stations, terrestrial point to point microwave antennas and cellular base station antennas. He has also used AutoCAD to create blueprints for over 150 new homes constructed in NC.
Chris Carroll
Sports Marketing
Chris teaches Personal Finance and Sports & Entertainment Marketing I & II at Lake Norman High School. He has been at Lake Norman since 2007 and at Olympic High School and Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology for the previous six years. Prior to teaching Chris worked in professional sports for the Columbus Clippers, Charlotte Knights, and Carolina Panthers. He still works part-time for the Panthers in event operations and he works for the Wells Fargo Championship each May. Chris graduated from Western Carolina University with a B.A. and Ohio State University with a M.A. Chris likes to travel, attend sporting events and go to the beach with his wife Lezlie, who is also a Virtual Online Teacher.
Kathryn Cogdell
Accounting
Kathryn has a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Education and a Minor in Marketing from Appalachian State University. Kathryn began her teaching career in 2012 at North Gaston High School. After moving to Mooresville in 2013 she began teaching at Lake Norman High school and has enjoyed growing the accounting program ever since.
Tanya Topazio
Adobe Visual Design and Adobe Video Design
Tanya graduated from Emerson College with a degree in Television and Film Production, and has worked for companies such as Propaganda Films, VH1, ESPN, ABC, Fox Sports and many more. She has been with Iredell Statesville Schools teaching digital media since 2010. She is most "at home" in her television studio at the Career Academy and Technical School in Troutman, and is excited to expand the Adobe courses in Graphic Design and Video Editing to online students throughout the county. Tanya continues to teach in-person courses in Filmmaking and Animation at CATS, and is also the district's Video Producer and large format printing designer/printer/installer! She absolutely loves to see the creativity students bring to their learning in her classes, and hopes she can also impart skills all students can apply to any career they choose.
Charles M Francisco
Forensic Science
Charles is the science department chair at Statesville High School where he has taught a variety of science classes over the years including Chemistry, Physics, AP Physics, Earth Science, Physical Science, Forensic Science, along with Advanced Functions and Modeling in the math department. Charles's favorite courses are Physics and AP Physics which he has been teaching for over 30 years. In a close second place is Forensic Science due to how all the other science courses come into play in the Forensic Science class.
Lauryn Johnson
Grades 2nd and 3rd
Lauryn has a Bachelor’s of Science in Elementary Education and a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Educational Technology. She also has an ESL K-12 certification. Lauryn began her career in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, continuing later in Cabarrus County, NC. Her family relocated to Mooresville in 2021 and she soon became a part of the ISSVA family. Her passion is teaching the whole child and building positive relationships that will impact a student’s character development and academic growth.
Krista Kerley
Elementary Health and PE
I graduated from Appalachian State University with a bachelors in Physical Education and health. I went on to gain my masters in Instructional technology and received my National Boards. I've been teaching Elementary PE for 15 years. I am a dog mom and his name is Gabe. He thinks he is a human. I look forward to another great year teaching PE VISS.
Bruce Macartney
Python Programming
Bruce has been an educator for twenty years with experience in many areas of STE(A)M. He has a Bachelor’s in biology, construction trades as well as a Master’s in Education. Bruce has spent most of his teaching career teaching science (biology, chemistry, and physical science) and engineering (drafting/CAD, robotics, and construction) in Michigan, Costa Rica, The Bahamas, and now in North Carolina. He is excited to pass on his love for learning new and challenging things!
Leslie Plyler
French I, II, III, IV, V
Middle School French
Qui est Madame Plyler?
I have been teaching French in Iredell-Statesville Schools since 1990! I have been at Statesville High School since 2000. Before Statesville High School, I taught at North Iredell High School. I am a proud graduate of the University of Georgia where I received a B.S. Ed in Foreign Language and Louisiana State University with a Master's in Foreign Language Education. I received my ESL certification from NC State. I am very excited to be teaching in the Virtual ISS!
Lezlie Carroll
Earth and Environmental Science
Lezlie Carroll teaches science for Iredell-Statesville Schools. She attended the University of Saskatchewan for her undergraduate degrees, Lenoir-Rhyne for her Masters on Online Teaching and Instructional Design, and Illinois State for her Masters of Chemistry Education. She enjoys reading, travelling, walking, exploring, and hot, sunny weather at the beach and on the lake! Her husband, Chris, is also a teacher, and they have a dog named Gretzky (after the greatest hockey player ever!).
Trish Loudermilt
Earth and Environmental Science
Mrs. Trish Loudermilt graduated from West Iredell High School and Mitchell Community College. She earned a B.S. from Gardner-Webb University, and a M.A. from UNC Charlotte. She held National Board of Professional Teaching Standards status from 2003-2013. Mrs. Loudermilt taught grades 3-11 for 30 years, all in Iredell County. She spent one year on a Fulbright teaching exchange to England and four years as an Instructional Technology Specialist for the ISS district.Mrs. Loudermilt retired from full-time face-to-face teaching in Jan. 2014. She continues to sub in the ISS district and work with the ISS Virtual Learning team. She has been an online teacher and course developer since 2008.
Stephanie Harris
English IV
Stephanie has been teaching at Lake Norman High School for five years and she has began teaching with Virtual Iredell Statesville Schools in the program's inaugural year. This is her second year as an online educator. She has also worked for several additional years at other schools.
Stephanie is an alumnus of Winthrop University and completed her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in English there. Stephanie has a wealth of life experiences to share with students including traveling to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, teaching photography to students in Haiti after the earthquake, and flying in a hot air balloon competition.
Leah Baisden
English III
Leah has been teaching English Language Arts for 16 years. The first six years were spent in Daytona Beach, FL teaching ninth, tenth, and eleventh grade. Troutman Middle School become her home in 2007 where she taught 8th-grade Inclusion, General Education, and Advanced Language Arts classes for two years. She then joined the Viking Staff at South Iredell High School where she currently teachs English III, English I, and Journalism. Leah has spent most of her career teaching AP Language and Composition. This is Leah's 4th year teaching in a virtual setting. She works for NCVPS as well as Virtual I-SS.
Leah earned her Bachelor's Degree in English/Language Arts 5-12 from Concord University in Athens, WV, and then earned a Master's Degree from Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, FL in the BrainSMART program focused on new brain-based teaching methodology.
Ben Conklin
American History
Ben has been teaching since 2004. He is originally from Long Island, NY and moved to North Carolina after graduating from SUNY Cortland. He teaches social studies, a subject about which he is passionate, at West Iredell High School since 2004. Ben's courses provide students with the opportunity to help students think critically and cultivate historical context for everyday living.
James Worthington
Economics and Personal Finance
Civics Literacy
James has been teaching for 23 years. He taught in California until 2014 when he moved to North Carolina and began teaching Social Studies at Lake Norman High School. He began teaching with Virtual Iredell Statesville Schools in the program's inaugural year.
Ben Walters
Psychology
Ben has been teaching for 10 years. Six of those years have been spent teaching AP Psychology and Psychology. The past two years Ben has scored AP Psychology exams for the College Board which has provided him with insight on the College Board expectations for students on the AP Psychology Exam.
Ellen Scherr
Grades 4th and 5th
Ellen begins her 30th year as a public school teacher. She has a Bachelor's of Arts in Elementary Education and History from Hofstra University, a Master's of Education in Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment from Walden University, and a Supervisor Certificate from Georgian Court University. Ellen relocated to North Carolina from New Jersey in 2019 and is the proud mom of 3 incredible adults. She is a sports fan, especially football, and enjoys reading and playing pickleball. Ellen loves being a virtual teacher and getting to know her students better!
Yolanda Lindsay
English Middle and High School
Edgenuity Teacher of Record
Yolanda is the Assistant Principal at The ISS Virtual Academy. She has a Bachelor's degree in elementary education and a Master's degree in Executive Leadership. Currently, she is pursuing her doctoral degree at Gardner Webb University in Curriculum & Instruction. Yolanda is married with 5 amazing children and enjoys shopping, going to the beach, and spending time with her husband and kids. You might also see Mrs. Lindsay teaching some courses for ISSVA from time to time because she loves learning with the students and being "in" the classroom!
Candace Hilton
Kindergarten/1st Grade Teacher
This is Mrs. Hilton's 17th year in education. She has experience teaching literacy K-12 but has spent the majority of her career teaching primary grades. Mrs. Hilton received her Master's of Education in Literacy instruction and is passionate about building a strong reading foundation for young students. Outside of school, Mrs. Hilton loves spending time with her husband, Matt, their daughter, Parker, and dog, Bandit.
Jackuelyn Bolhouse
6th Grade Science
High School Physical Science
Hello! My name is Carabet Bolhouse. I have been teaching for eleven years and love every minute of it. I received my Bachelor's degree from Appalachian State University and my Master's from UNC Charlotte. I hold a teaching license in grades 6-12 with a concentration in Science. I have taught sixth grade, Earth Science, Biology, Advanced Placement (AP) Environmental Science, AP Biology, and AP Seminar. When I am not in the classroom you can find me spending time with my family and friends. My son (pictured) and I enjoy going to local race tracks and watching NASCAR races on TV. I also love to travel, read, and eat! I believe that laughter and knowledge are valuable tools, therefore I try to learn something new every day and laugh as often as I can. I look forward to meeting you and exploring science!
Carolyn Campbell
Computer Science Middle School
My name is Carolyn Campbell and I am very excited to be teaching Design/Computer Science Discoveries I & II with V-ISS this year! I am a native of Iredell County and I graduated from North Iredell High School. I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Ag-Business Management, from N. C. State University. I completed my Lateral Entry Certification from N. C. State, in Business Education. Last summer, I completed my Catagory 2 IB Design training. Four years ago, I completed the Computer Science Discoveries Workshop and have been Piloting a program through Code.org.
In my personal time, I love to read, visit the beach, and hike for waterfalls with my husband and two teenage sons. I am looking forward to working with each of you this year. This class is challenging, relevant, and engaging. In Design/Computer Science Discoveries classes we get into the details of how to create some awesome projects/products. You will be introduced to new coding languages and have an understanding of the Design Cycle.
Regina Yount
7th Grade Social Studies
My name is Regina Yount, and I’m thrilled to be working with middle school students from across our county. My passion for history, world cultures, and travel was sparked while I was still in high school. I continue to take national and international trips whenever possible, and I avidly follow several sources of world news. As an ISS teacher of both ELA and SS for the last 15 years, I look forward to continuing to share my enthusiasm and experiences with my students in the virtual 7th grade World Studies II class.
Tom Schwartz
Financial Planning and Business Essentials
My name is Tom Schwartz. I grew up in New Jersey but have lived in North Carolina since graduating from UNC Charlotte. This is my 17th year of teaching High School Business and Finance courses after spending 20 years in the Accounting and Corporate Finance industries. I have been married for 36 years and have five grown children and 7 grandkids. I enjoy golf, lake activities, spending time with my family and I am a big Carolinas Panthers fan. I Trust in the Lord with all my heart. I look forward to having you as a student in my online courses!
Sarah Drum
6th Grade Social Studies
Sarah has a Bachelor of Arts in History with a minor in Political Science and a Masters of Arts in Teaching both from Lenoir-Rhyne University. Currently, she teaches at Lake Norman High School teaching a variety of history courses including, American I, American II, and AP US History. Outside of school, Sarah enjoys painting, reading, and spending time with friends and family.
Cortney Frasier
Visual Art Middle School
Digital Photography
Hello! My name is Cortney Frasier and I have taught with Iredell-Statesville Schools since 2008. I am a lifelong educator, having worked with pre-K through adult students in both public and private schools. Although art is my passion, I am certified in not only art education but also in general and exceptional education. Currently I teach 6th, 7th, and 8th grade visual art at Mount Mourne (soon to be Brawley) Middle School.
I have a Master of Fine Art in Painting from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), along with a BS in Psychology from Penn State and a Master Degree in Education from Western Carolina University. In addition to my time in the traditional classroom, I work with the Charlotte Mint Museum’s Learning and Engagement Department, have taught high school summer seminars at SCAD, have been an Iredell Statesville Schools Homebound instructor, and currently instruct online as an adjunct professor at Davidson County Community College. Recently, I was chosen as a 2018 Charlotte ArtPop artist (you may have seen my work on a billboard as you have driven on 77!) and received the Cato Excellence in Teaching Award from the Charlotte Arts and Science Council in 2019. In 2020, I was chosen as Mount Mourne School's Teacher of the Year.
I love art - making it, reading about it, seeing it, teaching it - art is my life. I believe the arts are an integral and essential part of learning and experiencing life to the fullest. I cannot wait to explore art with you! You will absolutely love this course and discover things about art and yourself that will surprise and excite you. Welcome!
Suzanna Francisco
Pre-Calculus Honors
I have a Bachelor of Science and a Master's degree in Mathematics from Appalachian State University and I am a National Board Certified teacher. I have been teaching mathematics for over 30 years with all but three of those years being in Iredell County. I believe teaching and learning is a life-long opportunity and want to instill in all students the appreciation for the beauty and connectedness of mathematics. Making sense of problems, persevering to solve them, attending to precision, and using math structures are goals that benefit daily living... not just the math classroom. I like to spend time outside golfing, gardening, star-gazing, hiking, and traveling. I am privileged to be the mother of two awesome children, one teacher and one U.S. Navy sailor.
Shana Whitley
Health and PE
Personal Fitness
I started my teaching career 21 years ago in Iredell County Schools. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Education from Appalachian State in 1998. Ten years later, I received my Masters in School Administration from Appalachian. I also have my National Board Certification in Health Education. In 2010, I was honored as the NC Health Educator of the Year. Starting in 2016, I have been the Lead Health Educator for Iredell-Statesville schools. Why is this important to you? Because it shows how much I love health and teaching young minds! I am so excited for this year. We are going to work together to set goals and learn how to make healthy decisions to reduce the risk of disease. Outside of school, I am a busy mom of a high school senior. My passion is traveling especially to Europe. Last count, I have visited over 23 countries. I look forward to meeting and teaching my online students!
Alan Cook
8th Grade Science
My name is Alan Lorne Cook and I go by my middle name Lorne. I grew up in North Carolina,
between Troutman and Statesville, and this year will be my 5 th year of teaching. I graduated
from Western Carolina University with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Health and
practiced as an Environmental Health Specialist in Iredell County for 16 years. With love for the
Environment, I realized teaching others about Environmental Science was my passion. I
followed up my education by completing the teaching requirements online through East
Carolina University in the summer of 2016 and have been teaching students at Statesville High
School ever since. I love spending time with my family which includes my wife Sonya, my 21-
year-old step-daughter Emalee, my 18-year-old step-son Nathan, and our 7-year-old son
Jackson. In my spare time you can find me in the outdoors fishing in between the New River
and the Outer Banks, at my Muscadine Vineyard, or performing Environmental Consulting with
a local Soil Science company. With my “Real Life” knowledge of Science and continued hands on
experiences, I look forward to meeting and teaching my online students!
John Hieb
Social Studies 8th Grade
My name is John Hieb. I grew up on Long Island and graduated with a Bachelor's from SUNY Albany and a Master's in Education from Dowling College. Shortly after completing my graduate degree my wife and I relocated to Mooresville where I worked at Mount Mourne as an eighth grade social studies teacher from 2013 to 2018. In 2018, I took on the role of Social Studies Content Coach for Iredell-Statesville and really enjoy working with teachers across the district, but definitely miss the close interactions with students. I am so excited to be a member of VISS, where I can get back "in the classroom" working with students of my own and pursuing my passion of teaching American history. Outside of school, I officiate high school and college soccer and enjoy spending time with my friends and family.
Dan Roseman
AP US History
World History
I am Dan Roseman. I was born and raised in Iredell County, graduated from West High, and then earned a BA in History From NC State University in 2005. I have taught in Iredell-Statesville Schools for 12 years, including AP US History for 5. I have also served as a reader for the AP Exam for the last 3 years. While teaching in the traditional classroom, I have taught a variety of subjects online with NCVirtual since 2015. Beyond the classroom I spend most of my time with my wife and 3 children. I love road cycling and I am currently pursuing a Masters Degree from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Teaching is one of the most fun jobs imaginable and I love working with all of my students.
Katie Morris
Spanish Middle School Level 1 and Level 2
High School Spanish III, IV and V
My name is Katie Morris and I am starting my 14th year teaching Spanish! I currently teach Spanish 2 and 4 at Lake Norman High School. I graduated from Gardner-Webb University. I have studied abroad in Costa Rica, and travelled to Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Spain, and Bahrain. I enjoy travelling, cooking, and learning about other cultures. I am very excited to get the school year started!
Dare York
English I and English I Honors
Ms. York is an Iredell County native who grew up on her family farm in the small town of Harmony, North Carolina, and she attended North Iredell High School. Ms. York graduated from Appalachian State University in Boone, NC, with a B.S. degree in English, Secondary Education. She worked for Surry County Schools, teaching high school English for 7 years before moving back home to teach in Iredell County at Northview IB. In May of 2019, she graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a M.Ed. in Middle and Secondary Education. Ms. York has been a proud Nighthawk since 2013.
Lois Parris
Middle School Music
Elementary Music
Mrs. Parris received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Music - Vocal Performance and Education from UNC-Wilmington. She began her career in the eastern part of our state but moved to Mooresville and began teaching with Iredell-Statesville Schools at Lakeshore Elementary School in 2007. Mrs. Parris earned National Board Certification in 2018. In addition to Lakeshore Elementary School, Mrs. Parris began serving the elementary students at the I-SS Virtual Academy in 2021 and she's very excited about expanding the Virtual Music Program to the Middle School students starting in the 2022 fall semester.
Jennifer Christie
EnglishIV
Ms. Christie has a Bachelor’s of Arts in Secondary Education and English from Appalachian State University. Ms. Christie began her teaching career in 2007 and began at Lake Norman High school in 2009. Since then, she has taught all grade & rigor levels. She is currently the English department chairperson.
TJ Brinkman
7th Grade Science
TJ is in her third year teaching 7th grade science at West Iredell Middle. She joined the Mustang staff after graduating from UNC-Charlotte with her Bachelor's Degree of arts in biology. TJ is part of the ANSWER alumni scholarship program which provides college scholarships, mentoring and professional development to moms in Mecklenburg and eight surrounding counties in the Carolinas.
Jennifer Chang
Business Law
Jennifer has been teaching various business courses within Iredell-Statesville Schools for 15 years. She began her career at Statesville High School in January of 2006 and has worked at Monticello Alternative School as well as completing her student teaching at South Iredell High School. Jennifer currently teaches Microsoft Honors Excel, Business and Personal Law, and Business Management I and II at Lake Norman High.
Jennifer attended Appalachian State University where she obtained her Bachelor's Degree in Business education with a minor in History. While at ASU, she was a member of the Multicultural Student Organization as well as a four-year North Carolina Teaching Fellows Scholarship recipient.
Jennifer enjoys spending time with her family and friends, especially her nephew Gabe. In her spare time, she likes to travel and she is a sports enthusiast. She enjoys UFC, Nascar, Hockey and New York Yankees Baseball. Jennifer is also very active in the community; volunteering with organizations like March of Dimes, American Cancer Society, The National Kidney Foundation, and The North Carolina USO.