Cumberland 2026
Cumberland ’26 Cohort
Tykeyra Diallo
Sponsoring District: Cumberland
Tykeyra Diallo graduated with honors from Grand Canyon University with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. She began her teaching career in 2017 as a Preschool Lead Teacher in Honolulu, Hawaii. She currently serves as a first-grade teacher at Elizabeth M Cashwell Elementary School in Cumberland County. Tykeyra has served on several leadership committees including being the Co-chair for the Premier Professional correlate, School Improvement Team representative, advisor for The Young Ladies of Purpose, and Fundraising Team Lead. Tykeyra can be reached at tldiallo@ncsu.edu.
Latisha Forbes
Sponsoring District: Cumberland
Latisha Forbes earned a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry, with a minor in Mathematics as well as a Master’s in Mathematics Education degree from Fayetteville State University. She began her teaching career in Cumberland County in 2014 at Westover Middle School as a Math teacher. During her tenure at Westover, Latisha earned many honors to include Westover Middle School Teacher of the Year and Westover District Teacher of the Year. She also held various leadership roles to include Grade Level Chair, Math Department Co-chair, and SIT Team member. Latisha currently serves as the Mathematics Multi-Classroom Leader and PBIS chair at Anne Chesnutt Middle School in Cumberland County. Latisha can be reached at lredwar4@ncsu.edu.
Caroline Hasty
Sponsoring District: Cumberland
Caroline Hasty earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from East Carolina University. Caroline has been teaching 2nd Grade at Vanstory Hills Elementary School in Fayetteville, NC for the past seven years. Being a Fayetteville native, she has thoroughly enjoyed teaching school in the exact same classroom where she was a second grade student. Caroline represents her school by serving on the School Improvement Team. Caroline can be reached at chhasty@ncsu.edu.
Shaneece Johnson
Sponsoring District: Cumberland
Shaneece Johnson holds a Post Graduate Diploma in English Language Education and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Media and Communication earned at the University of The West Indies, Jamaica. Shaneece started her career in education as a teacher of English to second language learners in Japan, she then moved to the United States where she taught English Language Arts at New Century International Middle School in Fayetteville. During this time she served as Department Chairperson, Mentor, a Facilitator of Professional Development both at the school and county levels as well as a Grade Level Chairperson. Currently, she serves as the AIG Consultant for New Century International Middle School and Cumberland Virtual Academy. Shaneece can be reached at sjohns38@ncsu.edu.
Erol Kenworthy
Sponsoring District: Cumberland
Erol Kenworthy is a Veteran of the U.S. Army (82nd Airborne Division) and a graduate of Fayetteville Technical Community College (2002) with an Associate of Arts Degree; Fayetteville State University (2005) with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Physical Education with an add-on in Health (2011) from UNC Greensboro. Erol currently teaches Health & Physical Education (Grades 6-8) and serves as department chair. He has been in education since 2005 within Cumberland County Schools, earning recognition as the Beginning Teacher of the Year at John Griffin (2005-2006), John Griffin Middle School Teacher of the Year (2019-2020 & 2022-2023), and he has been selected and honored to be the Teacher of the Month on 10 separate occasions. He is currently the Head Coach for Football, Wrestling, and Softball Coach at John Griffin Middle School in Cumberland. Erol can be reached at edkenwor@ncsu.edu.
Shannon Marsh
Sponsoring District: Cumberland
Shannon started her journey in Early Childhood Education, earning her Associates of Applied Science from Savannah Technical College, followed by a Bachelors of Science in Elementary Education from Grand Canyon University. Shannon’s career path evolved from teaching in Child Development Centers on Fort Liberty to owning her own in-home daycare, before transitioning to elementary education. In 2016, Shannon embarked on a new role as an Instructional Assistant/Computer Resource Teacher. Building on her expertise, she later transitioned to a classroom teacher, specializing in upper elementary grades spanning from 3rd to 5th. Currently, Shannon serves as a Multi-Classroom Leader for grades 4 and 5, where she plays a pivotal role in shaping the educational landscape of her school. In her leadership capacity, Shannon conducts weekly Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), orchestrates observations and coaching cycles, and spearheads a Foundations Clinic aimed at addressing literacy deficits. She is an integral member of the Instructional Leadership Team, the ELA Advisory Team, and contributes her insights to the Awards & Student Achievement Committee at Cliffdale Elementary School in Cumberland. Shannon can be reached at samarsh5@ncsu.edu.
LaDonna Raeford McNeill
Sponsoring District: Cumberland
LaDonna Raeford McNeill earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Education with a minor in Economics from Fayetteville State University. She has been with Cumberland County Schools for a total of 18 years. Prior to teaching, she worked as a Registrar and Data Manager at an elementary school, where she developed a love for the students and families in the community. After a brief time at home to care for her children, she returned to the district as a CTE Business Education Teacher at Gray’s Creek High School. She taught a variety of courses under the Business Marketing Information Technology Pathway. She has served as a National Academy Foundation (NAF) Career Academy Director for six years. As a Director, she served as the District Program Area Leader (PAL) to support other Academy Directors in the system. She has also served as the Lead Advisor for the Gray’s Creek Chapter of Future Business Leaders of America. She has served for many years as a Beginning Teacher Mentor and Department Lead for the CTE Department. She currently serves as the CTE Facilitator and Special Populations Coordinator at Gray’s Creek High School in Cumberland. LaDonna can be reached at lraefor@ncsu.edu.
Petrula Rattray
Sponsoring District: Cumberland
Petrula Rattray has been an educator for over 20 years. She earned a teaching diploma in primary education from Sam Sharpe Teachers’ College in Jamaica, a Bachelor’s degree in literacy from the Northern Caribbean University in Jamaica, and a Masters’ Degree in Educational Leadership from the Central Connecticut State University. Petrula taught in Jamaica for 13 years as a classroom teacher and migrated to the United States in 2014. Since moving to NC, she has been serving at the Cliffdale Elementary School as a classroom teacher and once as grade level chairperson. In addition, Petrula presently serves as an advisor on the Math Advisory Team for Cumberland County Schools. Petrula can be reached at pdrattra@ncsu.edu.
Dannie Singleton
Sponsoring District: Cumberland
Dannie Singleton earned a Bachelors in Science in General Education and Special Education from Grand Canyon University. He started as a Teacher’s Assistant and decided to become a teacher. Dannie is licensed in both General education and Special Education. He currently serves on the SIT team, MTSS team, and is a huge advocate for LETRS training for Special Education teachers at Lucile Souders Elementary School in Cumberland County. Dannie can be reached at dsingle@ncsu.edu.
Ranaldo Smith
Sponsoring District: Cumberland
Ranaldo Smith earned his Bachelor of Arts in Marine Science from Savannah State University in 2003, which was followed by a Masters of Science in Environmental Education in 2008 from Nova Southeastern University. As the Educational Supervisor for Dolphin Encounters Ltd., Ranaldo served students and visitors of all ages throughout The Bahamas educating and entertaining them in the field of marine mammalogy, coastal ecology and conservation. Ranaldo has taught middle school within Cumberland County Schools since 2012 after migrating to the United States. In addition to teaching he has served in various capacities including Science Olympiad and Boys Track coach, Grade and Department chair, BT mentor, Chemical Hygiene Officer and Green Schools representative. He currently works at Lewis Chapel Middle School. Ranaldo Smith can be reached at rjsmit22@nsu.edu.
Cristine Bradsbery Watkins
Sponsoring District: Cumberland
Cristine Bradsbery Watkins earned her undergraduate degrees in Business Administration / Human Resource Management and Psychology at Fayetteville State University. Soon after graduation, Cristine earned Lateral Entry and has become certified to work with the Academically or Intellectually Gifted (AIG) population, has served on the School Improvement Team (SIT) and as grade level chair, has facilitated online professional development for Cumberland County teachers, and was a member of the initial group of educators to pilot The Innovation Program (TIP). Currently, Cristine teaches 5th graders at the county’s first virtual school as well as works with Cumberland County’s K-12 Math Curriculum Design Team and Digital Coaching Cohort. Cristine can be reached at cabradsb@ncsu.edu.
Alex Williams Patton
Sponsoring District: Cumberland
Alex Williams Patton earned a Bachelor of Music in Music Performance from East Carolina University and a Master of Music in Music Performance from Indiana University. In 2017, she began her teaching career as a lateral entry teacher. Alex has previously taught band and chorus,and currently serves as the Pre-K-5th Grade orchestra teacher at Eastover-Central Elementary in Cumberland County. During her five years at Eastover-Central, she has exponentially grown the orchestra program and was instrumental in founding the annual school musical. She has served as the chair of the events committee, a SIT representative, and currently serves as the Arts Department Chair. Alex was selected as the 2023-2024 Teacher of the Year. Alex can be reached at awilli42@ncsu.edu.
Milton Williams
Sponsoring District: Cumberland
Milton Williams earned a Bachelor’s in Music Education as a bassist with a Minor in Jazz Studies from Appalachian State University. During Milton’s 16 years of teaching, he has held various positions with his district and county, including the School Improvement Team (SIT), Virtual Music Education Committee, co-conductor for the Cumberland County Youth Orchestra, and County Orchestra Instrument Manager. His background in music education includes 5th through 12th grade, which requires an understanding of grade-level curriculum, instrumental pedagogy, and overall student development for most age groups. Milton has been named Teacher of the Year along with other accolades on the school and county levels. He continues to serve at Westover Middle School. Milton can be reached at mwill28@ncsu.edu.
Ashley Wilson
Sponsoring District: Cumberland
Ashley Wilson earned a Bachelor of Arts in Drama from UNC Asheville. She is an educator with a diverse background in both the arts and elementary education. She has demonstrated a commitment to teaching through her extensive coursework in elementary education as a lateral entry educator. Ashley embarked on her journey in education as a kindergarten teacher assistant in 2017, and moved into the role of a second-grade teacher within the Cumberland County Schools system in 2018. She also has served as the grade level chair from 2020-2022 and the Science Olympiad co-chair during that time. Ashley is currently serving as a 2nd and 3rd grade Multi Classroom Leader at Cliffdale Elementary School. Ashley’s impact extends beyond the classroom as she actively participates in various school committees, including her involvement with the School Improvement Team (SIT), the Sunshine Committee, Beginning Teacher Mentor Program, and the Instructional Leadership Team. Ashley can be reached at amwils28@ncsu.edu.