SOUTHERN COHORT FELLOWS               SOUTHERN PRINCIPAL RESIDENCY

Southern Cohort Fellows

Laura Brown

Laura Brown graduated from East Carolina University in 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education and a concentration in Mathematics. She began her career at West Greene Elementary School in Greene County, where she taught 3rd grade in a dual language immersion program. During her time at West Greene, Laura served as 3rd-grade chairperson, contributed to the school’s leadership and improvement team and PBIS team, collaborated with the literacy coach to develop the grade-level language arts curriculum, and led the creation of the school’s yearbook beginning in 2019.

Laura completed her Principal Residency at Greene Central High School during the 2023–2024 school year and has transitioned into her current role as Assistant Principal at Greene Central High School.

Kelly Garcia

Kelly Garcia graduated with honors from Ball State University as an Emen’s Scholar, earning a bachelor’s degree in English Education. She went on to obtain a master’s degree in Reading and Literacy Education from East Carolina University and holds National Board Certification in English Language Arts for Early Adolescence. During her 21 years in education, Kelly spent 10 years teaching middle grades English Language Arts before transitioning into her role as Instructional Coach for grades 6–12 in Greene County. In this role, she collaborated with teachers at Greene County Middle School, Greene Central High School, and Greene Early College to support curriculum development, literacy strategies, reading interventions, and implementation of the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP). She has also served as a member of the North Carolina English Language Arts Standards Review and Digital Support Writing Team and was named Greene County Schools Teacher of the Year. Kelly completed her Principal Residency at Greene County Intermediate School during the 2023–2024 school year. She now serves as Title III, World Languages, and Art Education Coordinator, as well as Co-Coordinator for ATR in Greene County Schools.

Thomas Loftin

Thomas Loftin, a U.S. Army veteran, earned a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with a specialty in K–12 Reading Instruction from East Carolina University. He has taught 2nd grade, 4th grade, 6th grade Social Studies, and STEM education across all middle grades. Thomas was recognized as Greene County Middle School’s Teacher of the Year in both 2015–2016 and 2020–2021. He is an active alumnus of the North Carolina Digital Leaders Coaching Network and a member of the NC Rural Teacher Leaders Network. From 2016–2017, he served on the Governor’s Educational Advisory Committee, and since 2014 he has presented at numerous state and national conferences—including the National Council for Social Studies and the At-Risk Youth National Forum—representing Greene County Schools. Thomas completed his Principal Residency at Greene County Middle School during the 2023–2024 school year and was later hired as Assistant Principal at the same school.

Stephanie Orosco

Stephanie Orosco graduated cum laude from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with a bachelor’s degree in African American Studies. She began her teaching career in 2015 at Goldsboro High School, where she was recognized as Beginning Teacher of the Year in 2017 and Teacher of the Year in 2018. Stephanie also served as head coach for women’s cross country and assistant coach for women’s basketball and soccer. She was the history department chair and a long-standing member of the school’s leadership team.

In 2021, Stephanie was selected to join Wayne County Public Schools’ Social Studies Super Core as a district facilitator in American History. She is also part of the inaugural Rural Teacher Leader Network, where rural educators across North Carolina collaborate to strengthen professional practices and cultivate leadership focused on equity, trauma-informed practice, and global education. Stephanie completed her Principal Residency at Forest Hills Middle School during the 2023–2024 school year and was later hired as Assistant Principal at Centennial Middle School in Wake County.

Reginald Simon

Reginald Simon earned a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications with a concentration in Broadcast Media from North Carolina Central University in 2014. He began his teaching career in 2016 at Westover High School in Cumberland County, teaching English Language Arts (ELA). During his time there, he was recognized multiple times as Beginning Teacher of the Month and was nominated for Beginning Teacher of the Year for the 2020–2021 school year. That same year, he participated in a county-wide professional development program focused on hybrid learning strategies. Reginald also founded and served as head mentor of the Brotherhood of Successful Students (BOSS) mentoring program. In 2020, he completed his lateral entry requirements at Fayetteville State University and received his North Carolina Educator’s license. He began his Principal Residency at Douglas Byrd Middle School and completed it at South View Middle School. He currently teaches at Hoke County High School.

Clay Tiderman

Clay Tiderman earned a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology and a Master of Arts in Teaching with a concentration in Secondary Science from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in 2016 and 2017, respectively. He taught at Cape Hatteras Secondary School in Dare County, where he instructed 6th and 8th-grade students in Science, Earth/Environmental Science, Biology, and Chemistry. Clay also served as a Middle School Baseball Coach and was the teacher sponsor for the Surf Club and Hatchery program at CHSS. He was recognized as Teacher of the Year during the 2019–2020 school year. He began his Principal Residency at Cape Hatteras Elementary School and completed it at Cape Hatteras Secondary School during the 2023–2024 school year. Clay currently serves as Assistant Principal at Cape Hatteras Secondary School.