Meet Our Team

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 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…”

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!”

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!”

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!”

Bio

“Quote” – Vincent Van Gogh

Bio

“Quote”

Hey y’all!  My name is Arden Girardi and I am ecstatic to be joining the Dynamic team this year. I have an extensive background in caring for those who need it most and am currently a certified Registered Behavioral Technician. I have been working with children of all ages on the Spectrum for over two years and have enjoyed every bit of it.  In my free time you will find me taking care of my zoo of pets or spending time with my family.  Becoming a parental figure at a young age, I understand the responsibility and trust it takes to build a fulfilling future for your child. I am so excited to help teach Transitions this year and help pave the way to success for each individual student.

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”  -Ralph Waldo Emerson

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

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!”