Beth Kuklinski, Director and Instructor
Beth holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from North Carolina State University. She has advanced graduate coursework on Specialized Education. Beth is completing a Master’s in English with a focus on Multi Cultural and Transnational Literatures from Eastern Carolina University. She specializes in working with divergent thinkers, gifted children and children on the Autism Spectrum. Her ability to dramatically increase learning with out of the box thinkers and exceptional children and her innovative ideas about experiential learning inspired her to become the founder of a school especially for them. Beth’s compilation of research, consultations with specialists in educational and therapeutic fields, and experience is the foundation of this pilot program. Beth hosts Breathing Underwater: Stories of Autism a radio airing on WCOM and nationally syndicated on AutismRadio. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Friends of Jordan Lake School of the Arts foundation.
Sheena Rapley, Primary Instructor
Sheena Holds a Bachelors of Science Degree in Political Science from St.Augustine's College. She has worked for the City of Raleigh for years in the role as a Before/After-School Care provider, as well as a Director. As a care provider and working for the City of Raleigh she has experience working One-on-One with students that have Autism as well as other students that think out the box and that are very gifted. Also, she has experience working as a Practicum Assistant and worked with students in a Special Education Program through Peace College where she earned her teaching certification. She has also worked with the students at Millbrook Exchange Center holding different events and activities. Sheena has a passion for helping others and working with students. She is reliable, patient, energetic, and very caring.
Kundukisa Robert Ndoyi, Math Instructor
Robert holds a Bachelor's Degree in Chemistry and a Master's Degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences. He has ten years in the biotech industry and years of experience as a math and science academic advisor and tutor in North Carolina. He provides math instruction with resulting sudent success in AP and standardized norm referenced assessments.
Piedmont Wildlife Center, Outdoor Education Instructors
Piedmont Wildlife Center offers Nature Mentoring experiences for all ages in the tradition of the Eight Shields Institute. This unique type of mentoring creates a bond with nature to last a lifetime. People of all ages can find a deepening passion for nature through teaching, learning and discovery.
Gracelee Lawrence , Art and Spanish Instructor
Gracelee graduated from Guilford College with a degree in Sculpture, minors in Spanish and Art History and plans to pursue her Master’s Degree in the future. She comes to Jordan Lake School of the Arts with a lifelong exposure to alternative educational settings emphasizing creative development. She is a practicing sculpture artist with the belief that “art and creativity help us to see the world in new ways and expand how we think and react”. She also rides, trains, and loves horses.
Irina Orlova, Dance Instructor
Irina Orlova was born in the Volga River town of Samara, Russia. Since age 7 she was placed at Samara School of the Arts where she was taking piano, theater and dance classes.Irina graduated from Samara College of Culture and Arts in 1993 having studied dance composition and staging, theory and technique of classical, folk, and Russian dance. She taught dance classes in the School of the Arts in her native Samara for 10 years and designed dance programs and costumes for her Dance Ensemble “Fantasy” which included 150 students and became a prize winner and laureate of Samara Dance Festivals.
Kindra Clemence, Music and Theater Instructor
Kindra Clemence brings to Jordan Lake School of the Arts a strong background in piano, music education and theater arts education. As a piano and voice teacher for over 10 years, Kindra has been a soloist and church pianist and organist for over 14 years. She has directed and accompanied numerous musical productions for schools and companies including the Children's Theater of Charlotte and UNC Chapel Hill's Company Carolina. In 2007 she released her 6th CD, with Covenant Communications, and has sung on the radio, national television, and in various parts of the United States with her semi-professional quartet Mountain Blue. Kindra has produced over 45 student productions as a high school theater arts teacher, and she also currently directs student performing groups at Szymanski Studios.Kindra also holds a Master's Degree in Social Work from UNC Chapel Hill.
Sharon Cournoyer, Yoga Instructor
Sharon has been learning and growing with yoga for the past thirty years. Her enthusiasm for the practice deepened over the last five years as she realized it was the path toward better health and personal enrichment. Her desire to teach then became the next step. She will complete her 200 hour yoga training course this May.
She is a graduate of Florida State University with a degree in Sociology. When not practicing yoga, she enjoys hiking, cooking, sharing meals, traveling and being with her children and grandchildren.
She believes that the real joy of yoga is stepping off the mat and into the world with a renewed sense of self. Striving to be completely in the moment is what keeps Sharon coming back to yoga, so she can be more present to those whom she teaches. And, she believes that the best teachers are her students. Sharon enjoys guiding children in basic yoga postures, breathing exercises and visualization while they enjoy fun and energetic poses like toppling tree, roaring lion, hopping frog and butterfly...all of which involve energizing the body yet calming the mind. Seeing happy, tired yet relaxed yogis at the end of the class is a reward she treasures for her students.
Andre Cameron, Television Show Videographer and Producer
Andre graduated from Northern High School. (Durham) Received an Associates Degree in Applied Sciences from Piedmont Community College. (Digital Effects and Animation Technology) Completed an internship with The People’s Channel and Durham Community Media, as a video editor, cameraman and effects specialist. He is a freelance videographer, video editor and digital effect artist. Part time instructor of Stop Motion Animation and Intro to Multimedia classes at the Holton Career and Resource Center located in Durham, NC. Instruct media classes and edit video footage, as a part time employee of The Peoples Channel of Chapel Hill. Andre is a videographer for weddings, church services, plays, concerts, commercials for local businesses, music videos and television shows. Produced 2D and 3D artwork for music videos and television shows. He aspires to apply his advanced video, graphic, animation and creative skills to produce a quality product for clients.
Carter Wolfe, Student Aide
Carter Wolfe is a responsible and talented student at JLSA. He assists in daily responsibilities and has assumed a leadership role. He models appropriate student behavior and acts as a liason between students and staff. Carter's gifts enable him to serve as a voice for our school pets , organize events, and mentor other students. He enjoys canine training, legos, and helping others.
Kathryn Kuklinski, Administrative Director
Kathy received her Nursing education at St. Joseph’s Hospital School of Nursing in Elmira, NY. Kathy attended Elmira College and Corning Community College in New York, and Drury College in Missouri for further liberal arts studies. She has been active in nursing for nearly five decades, involved in direct patient care in a wide variety of settings including Womens and Children’s health, surgical and neuropsychiatric nursing, and a year of combat nursing in Viet Nam. She has several years of teaching experience, and has worked as manager of Colgate University student health center. She spent time working for the CDC Public Response Service during the anthrax, smallpox and Sars concerns, and has served as Senior Consultant Nurse to an international pharmaceutical products company.She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Friends of Jordan Lake School of the Arts foundation. Interests include travel, reading, enjoying time with grandchildren, and watching Yankee baseball!
Volunteers:
Karen Pittman and See Spot Read:
Karen has lived in North Carolina for most of her life and currently resides in Raleigh, NC with her loving fiance, five dogs, three cats, and several other small furry creatures. She serves as a hospice foster home for sick and dying ferrets, and volunteers with a local rescue group operated out of Durham, North Carolina. She studied zoology and biology for four years at UNC universities and completed undergraduate internships working with entomologists, animal behaviorists, and primatologists. She has trained, cared for and worked with animals for the past twelve years. Over the course of her career, she has worked with tigers, lemurs, chimpanzees, sharks, exotic birds, crocodiles, anacondas, wallabies, horses, and dogs, to name a few. She has trained and cared for these animals in zoos, sanctuaries, farms, business settings, and private homes. She specializes in canine obedience training, pet therapy training and working with special needs rescue pets that require a little extra help getting situated into their new homes. Her own company is, All Dogs Allowed, Inc - a new canine club for all dogs, including mixed breeds, handicapped pups, and dogs that lack proper "doggy manners" skills from lack of socialization, training, or a difficult or abusive background.