Congratulations to the 2025- 2026 W.I.S.E. Cohort Graduates!
April 28, 2026
emoore21
This year, nine ladies from across the state participated in our 2025-2026 W.I.S.E. Cohort! W.I.S.E. stands for Women Inspiring and Seeking Empowerment and has been a program of NCAPCS for many years. Being in the cohort is a seven-month commitment that includes an in-person meeting, monthly virtual meetings, a book study, participation in site-visits with their mentors, and a culminating project.
The first meeting took place at Next Generation Academy in Greensboro. The ladies learned from our keynote speaker, Dr. Michelle Johnson (The POINT), about the unique qualities women bring to school administration. They were also able to meet their mentors and learn about their unique qualities through the Working Genius assessment. Our day ended with a tour of Next Generation Academy.
Each virtual meeting began with a discussion on certain chapters in our book study, She LEADS by Dr. Rachael George, and was followed by a guest speaker who spoke on topics relevant to Charter School leadership. In November, the ladies learned from Dr. Sarena Fuller from ArtSpace about Charter Schools 101 (myths/facts, how to read the laws, important acronyms, etc.). In December, Samantha Amaral from Time Value Accounting presented on Charter School Funding. Dr. Cyndi Austin from Marjorie Williams Academy presented on Governance Part One (requirements from the state) in January. In February, the topic was Governance Part Two (working with your board), presented by Beth McCullough at Chatham Charter. In March, the ladies were able to ask a panel of leaders their own questions about leadership. The panel consisted of: Dr. Sarena Fuller (ArtSpace Charter School), Dr. Cyndi Williams (Marjorie Williams Academy), and Kelly Painter (Bradford Preparatory).
In April, the ladies presented the culminating projects that they had been working on throughout the program. After their presentations, they had a “graduation” where we celebrated one another.
- Kristen Mulrain from Unity Classical Charter School's project = Streamlining the MTSS Referral Process
- Rahisha Clay from A.C.E. Academy = Professional Development for her school on Explicit Instruction: Effective & Efficient Teaching
- Jessica Vari from TMSA Charlotte = A Structure for Culture and Communication
- Morgan DeBerry from Bethany Community School = Implementation of Capturing Kids’ Hearts
- Selen Ates from TMSA Triangle = MTSS Process
- Aliyah Bivens from The IDYL School = Student Ambassador & Student Council Program
- Allison Brown from Bettis Academy = Career & College Promise - College Readiness Framework
- Cathi Mintz from Cape Fear Center for Inquiry = Sharing in the Leadership: developed a process for Organizational Coherence
- Shakerah McDowell from TMSA = Parent Engagement
The ladies take a pre- and post-survey to help them reflect on the program. Before participating in the W.I.S.E cohort, 44% of the ladies said that they were confident in their leadership abilities. At the end of the W.I.S.E. cohort, 100% of the ladies said they were confident in their leadership abilities!
In the post survey, the ladies were asked, “Have your perceptions of yourself as a leader changed as a result of the W.I.S.E. Cohort? 71.4% said yes.
When asked, “What were the most valuable skills or insights you gained from W.I.S.E.?” the responses included:
- “Building confidence and knowing I am more than qualified for this leadership role. “
- “The most valuable skill was from the book. I loved the way that it gave insights and strategies on what to do, as well as how you may feel as a female leader. My favorite quote I took away was - if you fail, at least you tried. I am going to try to work on that for the rest of my leadership role! “
- “My mentorship experience and seeing how other schools run their operations. I was able to take what I liked and apply it at my own school “
- “The women speakers gave me great inspiration for going after my goals as a leader.”
A huge thank you goes out to the ladies who presented at our monthly meetings and to the ladies who served as mentors for this year’s W.I.S.E. Cohort!
This Year's Mentors:
- Holly White, Piedmont Community Charter School
- Rachael Kennedy, Community Charter School
- Olivia Lyons, Anderson Creek Academy
- Alicia Rheel, Island Montessori School
- Toni Shellady, Discovery Charter
School leaders - if you have a lady on your staff whom you would like to nominate for this program, the nomination period will open in August 2026 for the 2026-2027 cohort. Participation in the W.I.S.E. Cohort is a FREE benefit of your NCAPCS Membership!