Meet Our Team

Hello everyone!

My name is Roxanne, and I am the Administrator for Dynamic Opportunities.  I am from Eastern North Carolina, a small town out in Martin County.  I grew up working the tobacco farm – it was hard work, but boy, did we have fun!  Life seemed so simple then –

I met my husband, Paul, in college at NC State, where I majored in Science Education and was one of the first members of the NC Teaching Fellows.  I taught in Granville County upon graduation, but Paul’s frequent moves out of state as a graduate student and Post Doc brought me out of the classroom.  My journey since teaching has brought me through 3 states and more than 20 years of experience in Business Administration, then finally back home to NC where I raised 5 children (1 biological and 4 adopted) here in Apex.  When they all flew from the nest about 4 years ago, I began to help out at Dynamic Opportunities, and I absolutely love it!!! The Dynamic kids, parents, and staff are now my family…

In my free time (which isn’t a lot), I love renovating our beach house, cross stitching, and singing my heart out (usually in the car).  One of my favorite artists is Martina McBride, and I have seen her perform every time she has come to this area – 6 times that I can remember!  From my favorite song of hers:

“You can chase a dream that seems so out of reach //
And you know it might not ever come your way //
Dream it anyway!”

Hello, my name is Terri Zobel!  I teach Language Arts, our new Pathfinders course, Projects and act as a mentor for new teachers so they can be successful with our unique model.  I have 30+ years of experience in special education and went to school at SUNY Binghamton for my BA.  Then, I moved to NC to get my Master’s degree in special education at UNC Chapel Hill. 

My husband and I fell in love with the area and raised our 4 children here. We have always created a community wherever we are. We were foster parents and then adopted our two youngest children and now we foster dogs for a local rescue. It is not unusual to see one of our trained dogs at school helping with the kids!

As one of the founders of Dynamic, I have a deep personal interest in seeing it succeed.  My youngest two children attend the school and my oldest daughter, who also has unique challenges, is a teacher here.  My oldest son is an exhibits designer at The Durham Life and Sciences Museum. Everyone in our family is deeply committed to education!

I love the book The Education of Little Tree by Forrest Carter. One of my favorite quotes sums up how we teach:

“Ye see, Little Tree, ain’t no way of learning, except by lettin’ ye do. Iff’n I had stopped ye from buying the calf, ye’d also have thought ye ought to had it. Iff’n I told ye to buy it, ye’d blame me for the calf dying. Ye’ll have to learn as ye go.”

Hello, my name is Virginia Stanley. I enjoy teaching Science, Social Studies, Cooking, and a variety of Project-Based Learning Units.

I was born and raised right here in North Carolina. I like to cook southern-style meals for my family when we’re not going to the beach, Tennessee, or West Virginia to visit family!  I love animals, especially my own.  I have 3 dogs and 2 cats. They can be rambunctious but are very loving and will make you smile and laugh. 

I have been married for 36 years and have 3 beautiful adult daughters.  Education and being an advocate for unique students is my passion; I am happily starting my 20th year of teaching.  My journey started as a one-on-one for a blind student.  I have also worked in a self-contained Behavior and Emotionally Challenged classroom, the school library, Kindergarten and as a Projects teacher in a charter school.  I was also a 4-H leader for 12 years at Polenta Road 4-H Club where we raised and showed animals for the Johnston County Livestock Show and the North Carolina State Fair. 

Some of my favorite things are coffee, Mexican food, fruit, and – wait – did I say coffee?  I love to watch movies from the 19th century and movies that have a lot of suspense. I love children’s books and books that take you on a trip like Travels With My Aunt by Graham Greene. I am fortunate to have the opportunity of teaching students here at Dynamic Opportunities. I’m sure you will love it just as much as I do!

“Every child deserves a Champion: an adult that will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection, and insists they become the best they can possibly be!”   (Rita Pierson)

Hi, I’m Kristen Braxton. I was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. My family and I moved to Fuquay-Varina 17 years ago after living in Wake Forest, Virginia, and Florida. I have worked at Dynamic Opportunities for 4 years.  

I graduated from East Carolina University with a B.S. in Early Childhood Education with a concentration in Reading.  I taught for Granville County Schools before starting a family.  As my family was growing, I taught preschool on and off for 10 years. My husband and I have been teaching a class at our church for young adults with special abilities for 5 years now.

My husband and I have 8 children, five still at home. Three of our children have special abilities. Our oldest daughter is a part of the Dynamic Opportunities Transitions Program.  We love doing things as a family. Our favorite vacation is a week in Florida with our own private pool, 10 minutes from the beach. The dream is to retire there one day.

I have taught Life Skills, Technology, Cooking, and Math since I have been at Dynamic Opportunities.  There are many other classes that I have co-taught. I’m always willing to teach something new. My other role at Dynamic is to take lots of photos, this role is one I truly love!  Rarely will you see me without my camera.  It brings me so much happiness to take photos of our Dynamic students.  I love capturing their concentration, joy, teamwork, connections, etc.  It’s just proof we are making a difference!

Dynamic Opportunities has given my daughter and I a place where we both feel we belong. The students and staff are very accepting of differences and strive to make everyone feel comfortable.  At Dynamic, every day is a gift!

“This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it!”  -Psalm 118:24

Hello, my name is Trina Rountree, but I go by Ms. Trina or Ms. Tree! I bring you greetings from the sweltering state of Arizona, where I taught for one and a half years. However, northeastern North Carolina (Edenton), is where I was born and raised. I have been an advocate and mentor for the mental health community for 20 plus years, and have been a Special Education teacher for four years.

I am married to my high school sweetheart, of 37 years. We have two sons, one a 7th grade Math teacher, and the other a Qualified Professional (QP) for the mental health community, and five grandchildren. I have worked as a self-contained teacher for middle school, a Resource teacher for elementary and middle school, a mentor, job coach, and case manager. In my spare time, I love to cater, entertain, and help the elderly.

Some of my favorite things to do include watching action movies, spending time with family, and taking trips. I also love chocolate candy with nuts, like M & M’s and Snickers, just to name a few, and drinking coffee. My favorite color is orange.

I am very people-oriented and a team player from all aspects. My role at Dynamic Opportunities is to teach Language Arts and Cooking, and I am enjoying it!  My plan is to bond and build strong relationships with my students and their families, to help them venture out into the world to be productive and responsible adults!

“Believe in your ability to create your path, embrace challenges as opportunities, and know that the skills you’ve learned will guide you to a future full of possibilities.”

Hello, my name is Ethan Brown, but most of our students refer to me as Mr. E, and I am super excited to begin my third year teaching at Dynamic Opportunities. I grew up in Poughkeepsie New York and attended Hobart and William Smith Colleges where I majored in Educational Studies with a concentration in Special Education and a minor in History. I have been living in Cary now for just over two years with my dog CeCe. Before joining DO I worked primarily with special needs youth in settings outside of schools, including residential centers and as a 1 on 1 advocate for youth struggling at school but who were also involved in the juvenile justice system.

I believe very strongly that every student deserves an opportunity to be successful and that my job as their teacher is to figure out what each of my students need to be individually successful, no matter how we define that success. When students see us working alongside them to figure out what tools they need in order to achieve their success, they buy into the process a whole lot more, and eventually begin to trust.  And that’s when the real learning can begin.  This is what I love most about working at DO:  our staff’s commitment to setting all of our students up to be successful no matter what difficulties we encounter.

“Life moves pretty fast, if you don’t stop to look around once in a while, you could miss it…”

Hello, my name is Julia Gaffney. I enjoy teaching Math, Science, Technology, and Life Skills. I moved to North Carolina in 2018 with my husband, Brandon. I’ve been a teacher for over a decade. Five years into my teaching career, I found my calling in special education.  Advocating and working in neurodiversity is my passion. I have taught in neurotypical, inclusion, self-contained, and EC classrooms. In my spare time I enjoy beach trips, working out with friends, and cooking new recipes.

My favorite thing about teaching in the world of neurodiversity is the opportunity to foster an inclusive environment where every student’s unique strengths and perspectives are celebrated, leading to richer classroom discussions and collaborative learning experiences that benefit everyone.

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel’ -Maya Angelou

My name is Tommy Freeman and I am a Raleigh NC native. I have lived here my whole life and I am very excited this will be my second year at Dynamic Opportunities!  Prior to being here, I worked in this field for 13 years with 5 years of in-home care and 8 years teaching at a day program for adults where I was the music teacher. I have been a musician since I was young and play a multitude of instruments that I also teach. I am so happy to be sharing my love of music at Dynamic. Having been an Eagle Scout, I enjoy nature and hiking and I have a degree from NC State in Horticulture.  I am also an accomplished long distance hiker and have completed thru hikes of the Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest Trail. My mantra has always been 

“HYOH:  Hike Your Own Hike” (go at your own pace)

Hi my name is William Jackson, but you can just call me “Coach Jackson”.

I grew up in Georgia but I have lived in North Carolina for the past 24 years now.  I am married and my wife Julie and I have 3 wonderful grown kids and one grandson.   I hold a Bachelors Degree in Christian Studies and a Masters in Christian Studies from South Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary. I have four years’ experience in Special Needs: two years as an Instructional Assistant and two years as Lead Teacher in the classroom. I was also a Full-Time Substitute teacher in Health and Physical Education for 3 years.

I also have an extensive back ground in sports. I have coached baseball at the high school level for the past several years.  I am also a huge University of Georgia fan, Atlanta Braves fan, and a Duke basketball fan!  I have passed the state teaching exam for Physical Education and Special Needs.  I have a lot of experience in the area of Health and Physical Education, especially when working with students with special needs.

“Each day is a new opportunity to change someone’s life!”

My name is Katie Zobel. I am from Raleigh NC and have been with Dynamic since the beginning. I have worked and lived with people with special needs my whole life. I attended Jacksonville University and Wake Tech, focusing on Sociology and Criminal Justice.

I am a teacher at Dynamic Opportunities, and I teach or co-teach Art, Technology, and our Projects class. I live with challenges that make my perspective of teaching SPED unique. I am also passionate about behavior management, so I will help with students who are having hard moments and who need extra support.

I love many parts of my job, but I most appreciate that I go to work every day knowing we never do the same thing twice. No matter what we are teaching, it is a new adventure with our students, and I constantly feel inspired by them!

“If you’re going to live, you might as well do painful, brave, and beautiful things!”

Hello, my name is Lori Riollano. I have worked with adults and children on the Autism Spectrum for more than 25 years, including at the Murdoch Center and 3 years at an ABA Clinic. Why do I do it? I find it deeply rewarding to make a positive impact on a child’s growth and development.

I also have a personal connection to the autism community, which motivates me to help families while embracing the unique challenges of the work, supporting individuals as they develop crucial skills to express themselves and navigate their world brings such fulfillment. Also, seeing their confidence grow is an incredible privilege.

“Autism is not a tragedy. Ignorance is the tragedy.” Kerry Magro, autism advocate 

Hi, I’m Lise Minzes!  I hail from DC and lived in Peoria, Illinois for 7 years before moving to NC to be closer to family.  I am a multidisciplinary artist and love being involved in the local community through my artistic skills and values.  I have always been an artist ever since I was a kid from drawing to writing fanfiction to making music and so much more.  Art is involved with everything I do and never stops being a part of my life, even down to my bedtime ritual!  My background in art and education involves work with local museums, art collectives, non-profits, and vulnerable communities.

When I’m not at work, I love movies (especially horror), dancing, creating new experiences, reading, interior design, thrifting, going to museums and art shows, hanging out with my kid sister, and cooking vegan meals.  I look forward to bringing my skills to the students of Dynamic Opportunities to help them embrace the complexities of being human and the beauty of what it means to be part of a collective.

“May the wind under your wings bear you where the sun sails and the moon walks!”

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Hello my name is Lisa Powell. I am a native of Danville, Virginia. My family moved to North Carolina in the early 90s. I am married with three beautiful daughters and four grandchildren.

I attended Rowan Cabarrus Community College where I graduated with an Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education. I was a part of the honor society and actively participated in Student Government and the Rotaract club. After graduating my family moved to Durham NC where I worked as a substitute teacher for a year then was hired as an Instructional Assistant in an EC classroom. I worked there for 3 years then we relocated to Concord NC. While in Concord I worked as an Instructional Assistant at a Charter School for the middle/high school EC classroom. There I worked with students during before and after care making sure students were prepared for the day and assisting with homework. We recently moved to Raleigh to be close to our grandchildren.

Along with teaching I also have traveled as a gospel singer. Singing is definitely a passion for me. I have been to 48 states including many Caribbean Islands. I’ve also enjoyed singing in Germany, Europe, and Canada. Sometimes I incorporate singing into my lessons, which helps students to feel calm when they are anxious.

I am very outgoing and eager to learn new people and things. My hobbies are writing and mystery movies. I love laughter and making others laugh. Life is too short to be miserable. I look forward to meeting all the students and their families and to help create a safe and fun learning environment.

Be optimistic. Think that great things are coming. No matter what you’re currently going through, think “there’s so much to look forward to!” (averstu.com)

Hello! My name is Jackson Orr, and I’m a senior at Middle Creek High School. I’ve lived in North Carolina my entire life and have spent the past four years working closely with students with special needs!

Im super excited to be joining Dynamic Opportunities as an Aftercare Counselor. I have over 1,000 hours of community service and a strong passion for helping others wherever I can. I’m also a proud member of the leadership team for Unified Club, a group dedicated to fostering inclusion and fun for students of all neurodiversities.

Outside of school and service, I love spending time outdoors, being with friends, and finding ways to support others in the ways they need it most!

“It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.”

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