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NC Center for Resilience & Learning

NC Center for Resilience & Learning

Building resilience and success for all North Carolina students and educators.

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Our Team

Our team of trauma-informed trainers and coaches brings a total of over 120 years of combined experience leading trauma-informed practices in the education setting or other clinical settings. We are a team made up of former teachers and school administrators, social workers, a child clinical psychologist, researchers, and trauma-informed clinicians, many with advanced degrees in related fields. The most special thing about our team though is the family feel we have with one another that we hope to help foster with the school teams in which we work.

Leslie Blaich

Program Manager

Stacey Craig, LCSW

Senior Program Manager

Elizabeth DeKonty, MSW

Director

Orlando Dobbin

Senior Program Manager

Jessica Edwards

Program Coordinator

Michelle Harris Jefferson

Senior Program Manager of Professional Development

Ervin Jones

Program Consultant

Angela Mendell

Program Manager

Katie Rosanbalm, PhD

Evaluation & Research Partner

Becky Stern, MAT, MSW

Program Consultant

Eulanda Thorne, MS

Program Manager

Brian Randall

Western NC Program Manager

Leslie Blaich

Program Manager

Leslie has been rooted in Western North Carolina for over twenty years. Drawn to and inspired by the beauty of the mountains, she studied Elementary Education at Warren Wilson College. Having the good fortune of being mentored and getting to teach in environments committed to experiential learning, Leslie continues to seek out as many opportunities for learning as possible. Her favorite ways to do so are through listening to those around her, reading, and traveling far beyond the internal and imaginary borders of comfort and home. She believes deeply in the inherent value and potential of each child and is driven to ensure classrooms and schools are places of healing, joy, and transformation – both for students and educators. She is grateful to be part of the NC Center for Resilience and Learning team, serving our state’s public schools.

Stacey Craig, LCSW

Senior Program Manager

Stacey began as a program consultant with the NC Center for Resilience & Learning in 2019, currently primarily serving Greene County. Stacey is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and owner of a private psychotherapy practice in Raleigh, NC. Her life’s passion is helping schools and families create and sustain healing communities where children with complex needs and stressors grow into healthy, connected, engaged adults.

Stacey earned her Masters Degree in Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2012 with specializations in School Social Work and Child and Family Mental Health. Since then, she has gained a variety of career experience as a psychotherapist, school-based program manager, counseling supervisor, trauma-informed consultant, and trainer in the Raleigh-Durham area, NC, Boston, MA, and in the United Kingdom.  

Outside of her work passions, Stacey loves learning about different cultures and places through travel, spending time with friends and family, walking through nature, and exploring the arts through dance, music, drawing, painting, improvisational theater, and writing. 

Stacey’s “Why”

I have worked as a consultant with the NC Resilience & Learning Project through the Public School Forum of North Carolina since March of 2019. At that time, I was just returning to my North Carolina roots after living and working for four years in Boston, Massachusetts, and then in London, United Kingdom for another two and a half years. 

Two times a Tarheel, I graduated with my B.A. in International Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2006. After a year with Public Allies coordinating an afterschool program for students in public housing in Chapel Hill, followed by 3 years supporting neighborhood organizations and University-Community relations through Duke University’s Office of Community Affairs, I decided to get my Master of Social Work. I graduated with an M.S.W. from UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Social Work in 2012, specializing in School Social Work and Child and Family Mental Health. It was from there that I took a job in Boston, MA, working at a nonprofit agency providing school-based psychotherapy, programming, case management and consultation in Boston Public Schools. By way of a lucky surprise, I had the opportunity in 2016 to live and work in London, United Kingdom. While there, I worked for a nonprofit organization as a manager and provider of therapeutic services at an elementary school. I loved the staff and the students and felt at home there. I was also contracted by another organization to help design and deliver trainings for special needs schools and other care organizations across England. 

Since returning to North Carolina, I have been so honored to connect with the incredible team of people at the Public School Forum and the Resilience & Learning Project, and to be a part of their meaningful and impactful work across my home state. I have also established my own private practice in Raleigh, offering psychotherapy to children and adults in person and over telehealth. I love continuing to work directly with children and families, learning from them and helping them discover healing and healthy ways of relating to themselves and each other. 

The Passion Behind the Work

My passion behind the work that I do stems all the way back to my childhood. While growing up in a home which modeled a lot of love and reliability, I was a sensitive kid who often felt like an outsider for reasons I didn’t understand. I often connected to others who felt that way, or who were looking to understand and to be understood. I discovered I felt less alone when helping others feel less alone. I was also very involved in my church youth group, and participated in service trips to places across the state, country and once to Latin America. Time spent in service and in spirituality helped me connect to the systemic issues impacting peoples’ daily lives, and the role my own life could play. My career has evolved over time as I have followed my passion to help co-create a world in which every person grows up empowered in their lives and knowing they are not alone.

What is my “why?”

I discovered my “why” when working with students in Boston Public Schools. I had chosen the field of social work within education out of the belief that if every student could find success in school, they would be more connected and empowered throughout their lives. In Boston, I provided school-based therapy to children who attended separate schools specifically for students with “emotional impairment.” I learned that at least 90% of the students enrolled at these schools had a history of trauma that was complex and often intergenerational. It was here that I learned how social injustice and inequity, as well as related environmental stressors, give rise to the effects of complex trauma and derail a child’s healthy development. It was also here that I learned about a school’s power to help reverse those same effects by providing a trauma-informed environment that could provide the consistency, understanding and community children need to feel safe. I also noticed the potential of schools to leverage relationships to empower students to grow. 

Since then, my “why” has always been the same. My weekly hour with a child as their therapist can’t have the same defining impact as the hours they spend with their community. While therapy is a powerful force for healing and growth, a child’s development depends on repetition and on the interactions they have with, and see modeled by, the people who shape their daily lives. Each school has the potential to be the community that defines a child’s development. And when school staff understand how to create trauma-informed environments and become therapeutic agents in their students’ lives, each child has a chance to grow up connected and empowered. My “why”’ is to be the supportive arms around the adults and educators we work with who are the arms around our students. We are all a part of the village it takes to raise every child.

Elizabeth DeKonty, MSW

Director

Elizabeth began with the Public School Forum of NC in 2017 as the first full-time staff member leading the NC Center for Resilience & Learning. In her tenure as director, the Center has expanded from providing trauma-informed schools training and/or coaching in two districts to now over 30 districts across the state.  In addition to the role of director, Elizabeth serves as the program trainer and coach in Johnston County. Elizabeth’s passion stems from wanting to see every child in our state feel loved and cared for in the school setting and have the supports they need to reach their own definition of success.

Elizabeth earned her Bachelor of Arts in human services from Elon University, and her Certificate in nonprofit leadership and her Master of Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prior to joining the NC Center for Resilience & Learning, Elizabeth served in several roles in various school settings and worked at the Center for Child and Family Health through the NC Child Treatment Program helping expand training in trauma-informed evidence-based therapy models to clinicians across North Carolina. 

Elizabeth resides in Raleigh with her husband and two young daughters. 

Elizabeth’s “Why”

I came on board with the NC Resilience & Learning Project in June of 2017 as the first full-time staff member to pilot our new trauma-informed schools model in North Carolina. This opportunity presented itself after a team of researchers and educators pulled together a year-long study group and final report of recommendations on what this work could look like across our state, and I knew I could not turn it down. 

My background is in social work, having received my M.S.W. from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2014. Prior to joining the NC Resilience & Learning Project, I worked with the NC Child Treatment Program, which is part of the Center for Child and Family Health. There, I had the opportunity to learn from some of the best trauma experts in the field. I’ve also had the opportunity to work in several different school settings and roles in North Carolina prior to and during  my M.S.W. program, and I feel that our  work today with the Resilience & Learning Project is the perfect blend of my previous experiences. 

I am a North Carolina native and attended public school for the majority of my K-12 education. I firmly believe that our schools are a critical part of the foundation of our society, and feel incredibly fortunate to have a career that allows me to focus on creating safer and more supportive learning environments for all students. I recognize the ways that educators are having to do far more than they ever have before, being asked to play many roles simultaneously such as: deliverer of curriculum and instruction, social-emotional support for students, and now even Covid sanitation specialist. I also recognize the ways changes to our schools during the pandemic have had life-changing impacts on so many students, especially those who find school as their only physically and emotionally safe place. I am honored to be a part of such a passionate team of individuals through the Resilience & Learning Project, working hard each day to support educators and improve outcomes for our students. 

On a personal note, my family is everything to me. I am married with two beautiful little girls who keep me very busy outside of work time. Having my own kids has opened my eyes even further to the importance of having an education system and individual schools that are focused on the WHOLE CHILD and the many needs they bring into the school building with them. 

The Passion Behind the Work

In many ways, my passion comes from my parents and how they raised me. I am an only child and grew up always being very close to my parents. They raised me in a home that was always about serving and loving others around us. This was often done through our church or through other local community organizations near us. My childhood is sprinkled with so many consistent memories of my parents fixing meals for others, purchasing holiday gifts for those in need, or simply walking alongside and loving marginalized individuals in the community. I realized from an early age that I wanted to have a career focused on these same virtues. 

My experience in high school is also a part of my story and how my passion came to be. When I got to my first year of high school as a student who was typically very introverted, especially in new, unfamiliar settings, I quickly felt lost and oftentimes unnoticed and started to feel anxious each morning when it was time to leave for a new school day. I was athletic but didn’t quite have the courage to try out for any sports teams and found it very hard to find my place in any other group or club in high school. I know this is the story for so many adolescents as they get to middle or high school and I am so thankful for family and friends outside of school who helped me through those challenging and formative years. I was also fortunate to have the opposite experience once I got to college. However, as a result of my experience in those four years of high school, I’ve always had a desire for every student to have a different story to tell about their school experience. I want them to be able to look back and think of positive memories and feelings of belonging within their school building.

What is my “Why?”

My “why” is to help create a world in which every child is able to reach their own definition of success. I believe that this starts first and foremost with every child knowing that they are loved and supported by at least one adult in their life who serves as their cheerleader and their champion. I had so many of these kinds of adults growing up who made me feel safe and who I knew believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself. 

I also believe that “success” looks different for every child, but that each child should have the opportunity to reach their full potential no matter who they are or where they come from. This means that we need systems that help remove and overcome barriers for ALL kids. It also means that we need adults fighting for and loving every child who walks through a school’s doors each day so that all kids can grow up feeling supported and having the courage to be the person they were meant to be. For me, this is the essence of what it means to be trauma-informed and build resilience: to create school environments where kids are excited to come each day knowing they are loved and cared for, believing in themselves, and knowing that they do have what it takes to fulfill their dreams. I am so grateful to be a part of a team that helps me live out my “why” each and every day in the work that we do with schools all across our state.

Orlando Dobbin

Senior Program Manager

Orlando Dobbin, Jr. is an Eastern North Carolina native and a proud graduate of the North Carolina Public School System. He received his undergraduate degree in Middle Grades Education from Appalachian State University and a master’s degree in Professional School Counseling from UNC-Chapel Hill.

Professionally, Orlando has experience working as a house parent in foster care group home settings, program coordinator with Appalachian State’s Gear Up program, and as a school counselor in Guilford, Chatham, and Wake County Public Schools. Additionally, Orlando has served as an Emerging Leader within the North Carolina School Counselor Association, an Affinity Group leader for the American School Counselor Association, and has presented at various conferences on numerous topics related to student mental health. Furthermore, he was recently one of fourteen individuals selected to participate in a Masterclass on Happiness in Finland, where he explored Finnish secrets to happiness.

Orlando is passionate about removing barriers and creating systems and structures that provide students with the opportunities and support they need to reach their potential. He specializes in using a strengths-based approach to foster positive change for students and the educational systems they navigate.

In his free time, Orlando loves to be outdoors, enjoying activities such as playing sports, biking, hiking, and camping. Additionally, he enjoys participating in storytelling events and competing in triathlons.

Jessica Edwards

Program Coordinator

Jessica Edwards started as the Program Coordinator at the NC Center for Resilience and Learning in March 2024. Before this, she served as an Administrator for a high-school youth theology institute and as an International and Academic Advisor for F-1 visa college students at North Carolina Wesleyan University. Jessica was born and raised in Eastern North Carolina, where she resides with her two daughters. She has developed a deep appreciation and passion for North Carolina’s public education system, where her daughters are enrolled, and she volunteers on the leadership board. Jessica has also personally developed trust in Resilience tools and aims to support the Resilience and Learning staff in order make them accessible throughout North Carolina.

Michelle Harris Jefferson

Senior Program Manager of Professional Development

Michelle Harris Jefferson, a Henderson, NC native, is a highly accomplished professional dedicated to education, trauma-informed practices, and motivational leadership. A Summa Cum Laude graduate of NC State University, Michelle is a veteran of the North Carolina public education system, where she excelled as a teacher and curriculum facilitator. Beyond the classroom, she extends her expertise by consulting with school districts, offering trauma-informed strategies and curriculum development support.

At the state level, Michelle has contributed to statewide testing initiatives in collaboration with NC State University, showcasing her depth of knowledge in educational standards and assessments. She is also a compelling motivational speaker and the author of What Doesn’t Kill You: A Memoir, a poignant account of her personal journey overcoming poverty, mental health challenges, and trauma.

As a devoted mother and wife, Michelle passionately shares her story and expertise at conferences and professional development events, empowering communities and organizations across the country. Her work is a testament to resilience and her commitment to fostering growth and healing in education and beyond.

Ervin Jones

Program Consultant

Ervin began as an official program consultant with the NC Center for Resilience & Learning 2021 after being one of the Center’s key educator partners at Elizabeth City Middle School through his other role as Restorative Facilitator and Social and Emotional Learning Specialist. Ervin primarily provides trauma-informed schools training and coaching in Elizabeth City – Pasquotank Public Schools.  

Ervin’s “Why”

I am an experienced Restorative Facilitator at Elizabeth City Middle School (ECMS) in Elizabeth City, NC. I am also a Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Specialist. I am extremely passionate about SEL and Restorative Practice, both in and out of the classroom. Since embarking on this journey at ECMS in 2017, I’ve been working to create a culture of SEL and trauma-informed discipline across the school. Through this process, office referrals and suspensions have shown a drastic decrease of 75%. Negative issues for both students and teachers have transformed into healthy and positive situations. I am also the creator of R.E.S.T (Recognize, Educate, Solve, Transition), a program now offered by ECMS to both students and staff. 

The Passion Behind the Work

“If we are going to get into it, let’s get into it.” These are words I am famous for, and this is my way of going beyond the surface to commit to the deeper level of accountability that restorative justice requires to be successful. This fearless, energetic teaching method and my realistic application of this work has stamped me as a champion of trauma-informed education.

I have always believed that there is a rhyme and reason for everything, and that everything a person goes through has an assignment. Things don’t happen just to happen. More importantly, everyone has a story. One of my greatest joys in this work is knowing that all that I have been through has led me to what I am doing now, and is a fulfillment of my story and my purpose. One thing I’ve learned along the way is that often, the trauma we witness comes from not being able to understand or express our story. Instead, it comes out in acts of frustration that create further trauma. What gives me joy are the opportunities I now have everyday to help others understand and communicate their stories, as we work together to heal their trauma early in life. 

Once I started to acknowledge the trauma I’ve experienced and practice a trauma-informed mindset in my personal life, this propelled me into what I call Life Joy. This  means that everything in life– the good, the bad and the ugly– brings me joy because I now understand the assignments that these things have. This was such an epiphany for me, and I wanted to share it with the world. I believe this process works for everyone who is willing to participate in it. I love the fact that all the trauma in my life has me working both in–and on–purpose.

What is My “Why?”

Being a member of the Resilience and Learning Project enables me to further live my purpose. In supporting schools to adopt a trauma-informed approach, I would especially love to grow and help nurture these vital aspects of trauma-informed education throughout the great state of North Carolina: 

  • Foster the mindset that trauma-informed education is about fixing the system, not about fixing kids. For years, we have been throwing kids away based on the misinterpretation of discipline.
  • Build healthy relationships. Strong, stable, and nurturing relationships foster a feeling of belonging that is essential for all students, but is absolutely imperative for healing with students who have experienced trauma. This is a vital component in changing the narrative for students and staff in NC schools.
  • Finally, I would like to drive home that ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) are not trauma, but are real. ACEs play a major part in the way we function in life, both professionally and socially, both in and out of the classroom. Understanding the importance of ACEs allows humans to better understand each other. 

Our experiences shape who we become. They are the reason  why I love the way I love, why I talk the way I talk, and why I act the way I act. I believe that if I had been given information about ACEs earlier in life, it would have changed my choices, my relationships, and my life in astronomical ways. I am now living in joy because my life experiences have given me the opportunity to share this understanding with others in ways that might change their lives for the better. I am a fan of humanity. I love people, and I love helping – I love us. This is the “why” that drives me in this work.

Angela Mendell

Program Manager

Angela began as the NC Center for Resilience & Learning program manager for the southeast region in 2021, primarily providing trauma-informed schools training and coaching in Robeson, Bladen, and Columbus counties. 

Prior to joining the Forum, Angela was employed with Bladen County Schools for twelve years as the district’s Behavior Specialist and also as the MTSS (Multi-Tiered Systems of Support) Coordinator for four of those years. Prior to working with Bladen County Schools, Angela had a diverse career serving in various child, youth and family service areas (Medical Social Work, Child Welfare and Systems of Care). Angela has a passion to help change the stigma in our society associated with Mental Health/Behavioral Health and aspires to bring insight and understanding on issues of trauma and resiliency to school staff and others who work with children and youth.

Angela resides in Elizabethtown, NC (Bladen County) with her husband of 26 years. They have two daughters, Lexie (22) and Lorna (19). 

Angela’s “Why”

I have always found that I am at my very best when I am serving others, lifting others up and helping lighten others’ loads. I started my career as a medical social worker serving disabled adults and medically fragile children and their families.  I had the great pleasure of managing their plans of care so that they could remain in their own homes. Otherwise, they would have been placed in facilities, separated from their families.  It was such a rewarding job that brought so much joy and meaning to my life that I was sure I would continue on that path for my entire career.  However, God had other plans for me, and due to life and location changes, I found myself working in child welfare. This was an area I never thought I’d work in, but it did not take long for me to realize I was exactly where I should be. I soon found a passion for advocating for children and their families from a whole different perspective.  

I quickly moved into an administrative role as the System of Care Coordinator.  In this role I had the responsibility and wonderful opportunity to work with multiple child-serving systems, including  Child Welfare, Mental Health, the Department of Juvenile Justice, Public Schools and Public Health. Together, we worked to break down barriers, promote collaboration and advocate for family perspective and voice. It was during this time that I was introduced to ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and the impact of trauma and stress on the development and formation of the brain.  This information had a powerful impact on me, both personally and professionally. Understanding ACES  provided a real explanation to so many things I had witnessed and experienced. 

The Passion Behind the Work 

In 2010 God once again decided He had other plans for my life and I was led to yet another place I was to serve. I accepted a position as the Behavior Specialist for Bladen County Schools.  In this role, I served the most behaviorally and emotionally challenged students in the school district.   They very quickly became “MY KIDS”.  My passion and desire became to help these students find success and a sense of belonging, to help others understand them and to advocate that they be given the same respect and chances as other students. ACEs became an everyday conversation with the teachers, administrators and parents. In addition, a great deal of my time was spent training school staff on mental health issues, de-escalation skills, classroom management, relationship building and Multi-Tier Systems of Support (MTSS) .  I was always looking for the “needs behind the deeds” and tried to help staff understand that until we dealt with the trigger (the “need”), we would never be able to change negative behavior. 

My sense of service and importance of helping others is something I have always tried to instill in my two daughters Lexie and Lorna Jade.  Both are now in college and I am very proud to say both are pursuing careers in the medical field and plan to work in underserved rural areas once they graduate.

This past July, after twelve years of service with the school system and twenty seven total years of public service, God decided it was time for me to retire and start my service with the Public School Forum as a Project Manager with the Resilience and Learning Project.  I am so excited for this chapter of my life and for yet another opportunity to serve others. 

What Is My “Why?”

My “Why” is very personal. I had a very traumatic childhood and have dealt with the ramifications of that all of my adult life.  I always thought that something was really wrong with me and that I would never or could never be enough.  I always felt so misunderstood and judged.  The first time I attended a training on ACEs I left it in tears.  Tears of joy, tears of anger, tears of peace, tears of hurt, tears of understanding and tears of excitement.  For the first time in my adult life it all made sense.  I finally understood that the real question was not “What is wrong with me?” but rather, “What happened to me?”  It was a very freeing moment and really set me on the road to healing from within myself. I finally realized that my own traumatic childhood, my negative experiences and times of mental unwellness were not in vain and actually had a purpose.  I was to use my experiences and knowledge to help others, to enlighten others and if at all possible help prevent others from going through the same thing.  Every day when I open my eyes I thank God for a new day to serve Him and ask Him for opportunities to be His hands and feet on the earth to serve others.

I truly believe that trauma-informed care and education is so very important, more so now than ever before.  My hope is that this movement will continue to grow in North Carolina and be prioritized  in every school district.  I would hope that every educator would know and understand the important role that they play in the life of a child and the great significance of helping build resilience and establishing trusting, meaningful relationships.  I am so beyond blessed to be a part of the Resilience and Learning Project and very proud to be part of the team helping to spread this critical  information.  Everything happens for a reason, and I know my life has led me here “for such a time as this”.

Katie Rosanbalm, PhD

Evaluation & Research Partner

Katie is a senior research scientist at Duke’s Center for Child and Family Policy and has been the evaluation and research partner for the NC Center for Resilience & Learning since its inception in 2017. 

Katie is trained as a child clinical and quantitative psychologist. Her work focuses on program implementation and evaluation in the areas of early childhood systems, self-regulation development, child welfare, and trauma-sensitive schools. She has conducted longitudinal evaluations of child welfare reform, early childhood Systems of Care, and prevention/intervention programs for mental health and education.

Katie co-authored a series of white papers on self-regulation development from birth through early adulthood. She has also served on multiple state-level boards and task forces to strengthen the evidence-based implementation of programs for children and families.

Learn more about all of Katie’s work and projects here.

Becky Stern, MAT, MSW

Program Consultant

Becky began as a program consultant with the NC Center for Resilience & Learning in 2019, currently primarily serving Lee County. Becky came to the Center with 30 years of experience working in schools. Having grown up in a family of teachers, Becky started her career as a high school English teacher in her home state of New Jersey, and earned her Master’s Degree in Social Work from UNC Chapel Hill shortly after moving to North Carolina in 2000. Along the way, she has been a school-based interventionist on several projects while working for Duke University’s Center for Child and Family Policy. These projects included developing and implementing curricula devoted to violence prevention, alcohol and tobacco use prevention, high school dropout prevention, and most recently on social and emotional learning in preschool classrooms. When Becky joined the Center team, she felt like her entire career had been preparation for this work of helping to create schools where all students feel safe, heard, seen, and valued for who they are. 

She lives in Carrboro with her husband Michael and two sons, Caleb and Archer.

Becky’s “Why”

I come from a family of teachers: my Mom, Dad, stepdad, grandfather–all of them found meaning, purpose, and joy in the classroom, the lecture hall, the resource room, or the marching band field and concert stage. It was clear to me from an early age that I would follow in their footsteps. I started out teaching high school English in my home state of New Jersey and quickly discovered that the job was less about discussing novels, plays, and poems, and more about forming connections with the students in front of me. The moments that stayed with me the most were when kids would stay after school to talk with me about what was happening in their lives. Whether they were grieving the loss of a parent, struggling to overcome an eating disorder, grappling with depression, or just stopping by to share some news, making those connections outside of the classroom was so rewarding that I knew I wanted to change the course of my career.

After I’d spent about a decade teaching, my husband and I relocated to NC in 2000 and I decided to get my Master of Social Work (MSW) so I could be a school social worker. I wanted to help kids who, for whatever reason, felt “stuck” and like they couldn’t succeed or couldn’t make it through. I wanted to help them get unstuck. I graduated from the UNC School of Social Work in 2010, but the school social worker job wasn’t meant to be. Life threw me an enormous curveball in the person of my beloved first-born son, who has severe developmental delays and disabilities. Seven years after his birth, my younger son came home from Guatemala after a protracted two-year adoption process. My oldest son’s needs determined that I couldn’t work full time, however, I have put that MSW to work in other ways, and always in the service of teachers and by extension, their students. Before having the great fortune to join the Resilience & Learning Project here at the Public School Forum of NC in 2019, I had been involved in several school-based interventions ranging from violence prevention at the middle school level to supporting social and emotional competence in the pre-K classroom by training and coaching pre-K teachers in five NC counties. The work I’m doing now for the Forum feels to me like the perfect culmination of everything I’ve done to date.

The Passion Behind the Work

Teachers are often talked at or talked down to by people who themselves have never taught. People don’t feel entitled to tell surgeons or lawyers or engineers how to do their jobs, but EVERYONE has an opinion about how teachers should be doing their jobs differently or better. When I left the classroom, I had this idea that I could be the intermediary between teachers and all those who sought to influence how they do their jobs. I knew what it was like to be “ON” all day without the freedom to visit the restroom when you need to. I knew the relentlessness of the workload: the week nights, weekends, and spring vacations devoted to preparation and grading; the challenge of dealing with disruptive behaviors in class; the decision fatigue on any given day; and the need to differentiate instruction among a class of 20-30 students with a wide range of needs and learning styles.  

Now, with the Resilience and Learning Project, as a Resilience Coach in a school, my job is not to tell teachers what to do. Instead, our program trusts teachers as experts and we enter into true collaboration with our partner schools with one common goal: to create a school environment in which every child feels safe and therefore able to learn. We are there to support, encourage, and facilitate change that benefits all students–not to dictate it. This is quite different from a lot of professional development that teachers experience. Teaching is a craft and an art, and good teachers know and understand that they are never done learning. I am passionate about supporting them on their journeys, and seeing their changes in practice produce concrete benefits for both their own and their students’ growth and development.

What is my “Why?”

As the proud parent of two very “outside of the box” children, I understand the perspective of both teachers and caregivers when it comes to trying to meet the needs of kids who struggle in school. I know the feeling of overwhelm and panic that BOTH parents and teachers feel when they don’t know how to manage challenging or confounding behaviors in a child entrusted to their care. I know the feelings of frustration both groups feel, and the fear that others (parents, supervisors, colleagues) will conclude from our struggle that we have failed at our primary task of preparing our children or students to succeed in life by giving them the necessary tools. I have seen the magic that occurs when the “whole” child is deeply understood and loved for exactly who they are and when every small victory is a cause for joy and celebration. I have seen this both personally with my own child and professionally when a teacher shifts from a “What is wrong with that kid” mindset to “How can I help that kid? What’s getting in her way?” I want schools to be places where every child feels like they truly belong and where children are not viewed as the sum total of their test scores but as complex, unique, and valuable members of a community of learners. That is my “why” and that drive is why I love the work I do.

Eulanda Thorne, MS

Program Manager

Eulanda began as the NC Center for Resilience & Learning program manager for the eastern region in 2021, primarily providing trauma-informed schools training and coaching in Pitt, Nash, and Edgecombe counties. As a former K-8 educator and school counselor, Eulanda has over 18 years of experience working in public education. She has a passion for using her gifts to serve vulnerable children and teens who are living in or experiencing stressful or traumatic situations. This passion continues to guide her toward opportunities to educate others on recognizing how trauma affects all individuals and how our bodies respond to trauma.

Eulanda received her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and her master’s degree in Counselor Education from East Carolina University with a dual track in school counseling and clinical mental health. In 2018, she became a certified trauma-informed and resiliency focused educator through Reconnect for Resilience™.

While educating herself on trauma, resilience, and Adverse Childhood Experience (ACEs), Eulanda was selected as a board member of Rural Opportunity Institute (ROI). In this role, the mission is to support people’s healing process by educating, reshaping systemic practices, and fostering deep-rooted connections with individuals in the community at large. Eulanda has trained hundreds of individuals throughout Eastern North Carolina and beyond. Through these trainings, she has taught resiliency tools and built relationships which foster connection and healing. Eulanda’s work facilitating professional development and educating others has been featured in PACEs Connection (Positive and Adverse Childhood Experiences) – a national social network for mental well-being. Through PACEs, Eulanda was recognized as a champion in building ACEs awareness.

Eulanda believes that resilience is an inner strength in all humans and that we as people need connection to support healing. She is committed to living life with an open heart to not only serve others, but to meet people where they are. Eulanda is now working to create trauma-informed – trauma-sensitive classrooms, and build positive relationships that focus on the whole child. Her deep passion for supporting the healing of children and educating others on what it means to be trauma-informed led her to compete for the pageant title of Ms. Black North Carolina USA. On March 6, 2022, she was crowned Ms. Black North Carolina – USA. Her platform is “Adverse Childhood Experiences; Fostering Healing Through Being Trauma-Informed.” In this role, Eulanda will volunteer her time to bring awareness to the public health crisis of ACEs and to educate the community at large on how we can promote healing from traumatic experiences.

Eulanda’s “Why”

As a former K-8 educator and school counselor, I have more than 18 years of experience working in public education. I have a passion for using my gifts to serve vulnerable children and teens who are living in or experiencing stressful or traumatic situations. This passion continues to guide me toward opportunities to educate others on recognizing how trauma affects all individuals and how our bodies respond to trauma. I find great joy and peace when educating others on how to stay connected, healthy, and resilient in the face of tough times and adversity. During stressful times, knowing how to self- regulate, restore self-compassion, and re-connect to others is essential in my life. It’s equally essential that I support others in these processes.

After working in the public school system as an educator for 14 years and while pursuing my master’s degree in counselor education, I attended a Reconnect trauma and resilience training which not only rekindled a fire within, but also changed the trajectory of my journey. In 2018, I began an in-depth study of ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) along with trauma and resilience work. Shortly after, I became a board member of Rural Opportunity Institute (ROI) and a Reconnect educator through Resources for Resilience™.

Prior to joining the Public School Forum, I served as a school counselor while also passionately facilitating Reconnect trainings throughout eastern North Carolina. I believe what makes me stand out as a resilience educator is my open heart and my ability to connect with others. Living life with an open heart to not only serve others but to meet people where they are is important to me. I try to remember that everyone I meet has their own “stuff” to deal with in life and I never know how heavy or painful that stuff might be to carry. Additionally, healing from my own past trauma was accomplished by many factors including my innate resilience. My personal journey of healing enables me to offer support to others with letting go, connecting, and healing from the tough, heavy stuff. My gift is teaching by way of offering love, empathy, with a patient and compassionate presence to others, but first to myself. 

The Passion Behind the Work

When I Google the term “passion” it is defined as “a strong and barely controllable emotion.” When thinking about the emotion behind this work and what drives me to support school systems, educators and students in building resilience – I can truly say I feel an emotion much deeper than joy alone. I feel a strong and barely controllable urge to offer support with my whole heart from a place deep within my soul. I believe this passion comes from a vow I made to God when I was a young girl. I made a vow that I would give the world the best I have — although it may never be enough. I remember asking God to “make me an instrument of His love.” I remember telling him that I would love others, serve others, and give with no conditions attached- simply because I genuinely believe as human beings, we are all connected. We are connected by our stories of triumph because we all have an area of our life which we have either overcome or are still striving to come out triumphantly. We are also connected by our stories of grief and/or pain. In the words of James Baldwin:

 “You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read. It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me most were the very things that connected me with all the people who were alive, who had ever been alive.”

If we are indeed connected by our stories of triumphs and our stories of pain – it makes sense that we would also be purposefully and intentionally connected in our stories of resilience; those moments when we adapted well in the face of adversity.

So, where does my passion for this work come from? It comes from my strong desire to serve others in a way that allows them to feel valued, supported, cared for and connected. I enjoy educating others with empathy and compassion in a way that allows them to feel connected to what’s being taught.

When I speak about being connected I am referring to the state in which we feel more safety and trust in our relationship with others. That point in which we notice that we are not alone. We often connect in order to survive and thrive. From my own past experiences of not feeling connected, feeling alone and not valued – I am fueled with a strong desire to do my part in supporting others in their ability to adapt well, remain connected and feel supported during stressful times. Whether an individual is stressed while teaching a classroom full of students or stressed while trying to survive a pandemic- I believe we desire to feel supported and genuinely want to adapt well. Even as our students are growing and learning in a world filled with stress, I want them to know how to connect with others, and to build their resilience. My passion comes from a place of wanting others to feel connected and supported rather than alone. 

My passion also comes from the ongoing mindfulness of how the life I live impacts my four children now and will continue to be impactful long after I’m gone. I want to leave a personal legacy for my children. I believe leaving a legacy also includes what I bestow personally to my children simply from the life I have lived. My children are always watching, listening, and noticing how I treat others. This in turn will impact how they choose to treat others and themselves. A lasting legacy is all about the actions I take during my life and the way those actions affect how others remember me. I want to ensure my loved ones will remember my life with love, not pain. I want the act of remembering me to bestow confidence, peace, strength, joy, love and connection. 

What is My “Why?”

Why I do this work is very clear to me. Believing in others, caring for others, helping others see their strengths, providing support during tough times, simply showing up and being present brings me great joy that feels like contentment and peace within. I do this work because there is always someone who needs to know that no matter what they have been through or experienced, that pain or traumatic experience does not have to leave them stuck. We can make a conscious choice to grow through our adversity. Resilience is in all of us and I believe I have a gift within me that can serve as a source of connection, strength and safety when others are going through adversity. My “why” is because I believe love is the greatest power in the universe and love shows up in various ways. When someone is going through a tough time, being a source of love is something I believe can be very beneficial. I know that source of love lives within me and through that source of connection, resilience is built.

By learning you will teach, by teaching you will learn. And so is this cycle of passion within me; I have learned how to build my own resilience so that I can teach others how to build theirs. And through teaching others, I am continually learning more to fuel the passion.

When I began learning about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), I learned this phrase “adversity is not destiny.” Knowing that my adversity is not my destiny is what keeps me going. Whether that adversity be the on-going difficulty of getting myself and my four children out of the house each morning for work/school or dealing with several health challenges- these tough circumstances do not have to dictate what happens next in my life. Each of us has the power to build on our strengths and grow. Safe, nurturing, and stable relationships can foster strength and healing. Self-regulation is possible. Restoring self-compassion is possible. Knowing this keeps me going in this work. More importantly, knowing that I have been given this beautiful and empowering opportunity to help educators, administrators, students and families know that adversity is not destiny is what keeps me going in this work.

Brian Randall

Western NC Program Manager

Brian is a passionate public school educator who strongly believes in the transformative power of resilience informed practices. Brian has taught grades 3-6. He is an experiential educator who focused on integrating social emotional learning strategies into daily curricula. 

After graduating Brevard college Brian taught at Hall Fletcher elementary school. He then accepted the role as Director for the In Real Life afterschool network coordinating hundreds of programs for middle schoolers. Brian authored a handbook for social emotional learning and led trainings for afterschool providers all over the state. Brian was the strategic planner for the Wilson Foundation YMCA afterschool initiative where he designed systems to address systemic health outcomes. Compelled by the profound needs of students after the COVID pandemic, Brian reentered the classroom as a math and science teacher.

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