Faculty

Christina graduated from the State University of New York at Oswego with a Bachelors of Science degree in Childhood Education. Christina currently works in a 2nd grade classroom at Pinewood Elementary school in Charlotte. She has a passion for teaching students and helping them grow into the person they want to be. Christina strives to provide a fun, engaging, and an effective learning community for all students to learn and develop new ideas. Christina loves helping each child that walks into her classroom and develops great relationships with them! She is excited to be apart of the Ballantyne Reading Academy team!

Having recently become an empty nester, Esther is doing more of what she loves – teaching children! She graduated with a BS in Elementary Education from Louisiana State University and later earned her Masters of Early Childhood Education from Oglethorpe University in Atlanta. Esther has taught in Louisiana, Georgia and North Carolina in both public and private school settings. During her 12+ years of classroom experience, Esther served as Grade Level Chair and as a supervisor of a student teacher. While her children were in school, Esther substituted at Charlotte Christian School on a regular basis and is an experienced tutor. She currently teaches Sunday School to children 4 – 7 years old. Esther enjoys her weekly volunteer work with two non-profit organizations and is currently a certified Augustine Literacy Tutor for the Augustine Literacy Project. In her spare time she enjoys reading, gardening, knitting and sewing. Esther is looking forward to working with the children at Ballantyne Reading Academy!

Giulia graduated from The University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education (K-6). After finishing her education, she stayed in Charlotte and starting teaching 1st grade in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools at Sharon Elementary. She grew up in Waxhaw, North Carolina and attended Union County Public Schools. Her teachers throughout elementary school fostered her love of reading which she strives to do for her students. When not teaching, Giulia enjoys traveling, hanging out with her Great Danes, and reading books! She is excited to bring joy and the love of reading to Ballantyne Reading Academy for summer camp!

Jackie graduated Magna Cum Laude from Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry, New York with a degree in Psychology and Elementary Education. She began teaching at Liberty Elementary School in Nyack, New York and taught there for four years. She re-located to Charlotte 27 years ago and has been employed by CMS as a Kindergarten teacher, a school tutor, and a substitute teacher. Jackie has also worked in several local preschools teaching Pre-K curriculum. The past several years, Jackie has been self-employed as a private tutor.

In her spare time, she loves doing floral arrangements for friends, playing her guitar, taking photos of nature, and walking her little dog Bentley! She also enjoys spending time with her adult daughter. She is very excited to be a member of the staff here at Ballantyne Reading Academy!

Jessica fell in love with Ballantyne Reading Academy after her daughters attended enrichment classes at our location! Born and raised in Chicago, she holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education (K-6) from DePaul University, with a middle school endorsement in social science. She has a background in psychology and was a mentor in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program of Chicago, and a tutor at Lawrence Hall Youth Services of Chicago. Her love of reading and writing began at an early age, as she would make her own books as a child, and briefly wrote movie reviews for her school newspaper in college. Teaching K/1 in the past, she loves to make learning FUN and bring the subject matter to life! This installs a passion for learning, and she believes anything can be made into a teachable moment! She resides in Waxhaw with her husband, 2 daughters, and 2 imperial shih tzus. Jessica loves to stay active and is a regular at Barre3 and is also an avid snorkeler.

Jessica graduated from Appalachian State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and received her Graduate Certificate in Autism Spectrum Disorders from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Jessica currently works as an Executive Function Coach teaching executive functioning skills to both children and adults who have ADHD and other learning differences. She specializes in study skills, self-regulation and motivation, goal setting, planning, organization, and time management. Jessica is trained in the Orton-Gillingham literacy method. She is passionate about teaching literacy and empowering students to get excited about learning. Jessica has a strong drive to create meaningful connections with her students and provide a safe and open environment where they can accomplish their goals and become independent learners. Jessica is a Charlotte native and enjoys hiking, cooking/baking, traveling, gardening, photography, and spending time with her family.

Karen-Ann graduated from East Carolina University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education with a concentration in Reading. She has been an educator for over 10 years, working with students in Pre-K-3rd grade. She currently teaches 1st grade In CMS at Pinewood Elementary.
Karen-Ann is originally from Jamaica but has lived in Charlotte for almost 20 years. She is married and has three children, Veronica, who is studying Graphic Design at South Piedmont Community College, Ricky who is studying Computer Science at the University of Wilmington and Kimberley who is a Project Manager for Apple in San Diego. Karen-Ann’s hobbies include traveling, reading, and walking her Goldendoodle Hudson.

Katie earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Child Life from East Carolina University in 2018. After moving back to Charlotte and she worked through a specialized program to earn her full North Carolina teaching license. She is now a Kindergarten teacher with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools at Rea Farms STEAM Academy and has previously worked as both a teaching assistant and a preschool teacher. Katie has experience working with children ages 2 to 9 in the classroom and camp settings. She has a passion for instilling a lifelong love of reading in her students, as her teachers did for her. Katie’s desire to teach and help the next generation began at a young age, and she is excited to bring her love of teaching to Ballantyne Reading Academy for summer camp!

Lauren graduated from UNC Chapel Hill with a degree in psychology and English. She became a two-time Tar Heel graduate after earning her Master’s of Teaching degree in elementary education (K-6) and special education. After finishing her education, she moved to Charlotte, a place that was not too unfamiliar to her as she grew up 30 minutes away in Huntersville. Lauren currently teaches in CMS as a 1st grade teacher at Sharon Elementary. Lauren was an avid reader growing up and has now made it her job to help students develop the same passion that she had. From phonemic awareness to comprehension and fluency, Lauren strives to make sure her students have the foundation to grow their love for reading and learning. When not teaching, Lauren spends her time chasing after her lab puppy Franklin, playing tennis, and cooking.

Shawnta (Nikki) graduated magna cum laude from the University of North Carolina, Charlotte with a degree in Elementary Education (K-6). In May of 2018, she earned a Master’s in Educational Leadership from Gardner-Webb University. Shawnta has been employed by Union County Public Schools for the past 10 years. She currently works at Rocky River Elementary. Shawnta has experience with ESL, special education, and AIG students. While teaching, she has served has a mentor, grade level chair, cooperating teacher for student teachers, and PBIS coordinator. Shawnta has a passion for working with children and believes that ALL children can learn regardless of socioeconomic status and/or learning ability.

Vandana graduated from The University of Findlay in Ohio with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology (1999) and a Master of Arts degree in Education (2002). She has taught elementary school, Kindergarten through 4th Grade, since 2004. Vandana’s family is originally from India, her parents migrated to the US in 1972. Vandana was born and raised in North America: Canada, Ohio and she moved to North Carolina in 2020 in the midst of the global pandemic. She understands and can speak limited Hindi. Vandana currently teaches in CMS as a 2nd grade teacher at Pinewood Elementary. She is also trained in the Orton-Gillingham teaching method. When not teaching, Vandana tutors privately, spends her time walking, cooking/ baking, travelling, watching movies/TV, listening to music, reading books, spending time with her friends and her family – primarily her 6 nieces and nephews.