Invested Faculty

Meet Our Faculty

  • Photo of Brendan Bohon
    Mr. Brendan Bohon
    Physical Education (LS), Preschool
    Varsity Boys' Soccer Head Coach | Kindergarten and Preschool PE
    Bio
     
    Born and raised in Clemmons, Brendan earned his bachelor’s degree in history from Appalachian State University. Most recently, he worked at NC Fusion Soccer.

    Brendan and his wife Brittany Garcia have three children: Brooklyn, Dax, and Lou.
  • Photo of Laurie Clark
    Mrs. Laurie Clark
    Preschool
    Preschool and Lower School Art Teacher
    Bio
     
    Laurie grew up in Virginia outside of Washington, D.C. She earned her bachelor’s degree in art history with a focus on multiculturalism in art from San Francisco State University and her master’s degree in children’s museum exhibition design from the Corcoran College of Art. Laurie has studied art in France, Italy, and South Africa, and her graduate thesis was the creation of a mobile children’s museum that would merge art and science to bring artistic theory to underserved communities.

    She served on the board of Sawtooth School of Visual Art for six years. Prior to coming to FCDS, she taught preschool art at Sawtooth and taught preschool at St. Paul’s Preschool.

    She and her husband Brad have two boys: Taylor ’30 and Elliott ’32.
  • Photo of Brittany Corts
    Ms. Brittany Corts
    Preschool
    Preschool Administrative Assistant
    Bio
     
    Originally from South Carolina, Brittany studied art with a concentration in painting at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She lives in Clemmons with her daughter, Elizabeth-Kate.
  • Photo of Ashlynn Durham
    Ms. Ashlynn Durham
    Preschool
  • Photo of Chelsea Eller
    Mrs. Chelsea Eller
    Administration, Preschool
    Assistant Director of Preschool
    Bio
     
    Chelsea earned her bachelor's and master's degree in elementary education from Appalachian State University and is National Board certified in Early Childhood Education. She taught second grade for 10 years in the Ashe County School System before moving to Lewisville in 2016 and working for the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School system for one year before coming to FCDS. At FCDS, she taught in the three year old and transitional four year old programs before moving into her current position as Assistant Director of Preschool. She and her husband, Nick, live in Lewisville with their son, Pierce (FCDS class of 2036) and dog, Chance.  
     
  • Photo of Renee Fuller
    Ms. Renee Fuller
    Administration, Preschool
    Director of Preschool
    Bio
     
    Originally from Virginia, Renée earned her bachelor’s degree from Radford University, her master’s degree in education from The College of New Jersey, and is completing her doctorate (D.Ed.Min) from Virginia Theological Seminary. She has spent the past two decades living, learning, teaching, and leading in Mexico, Indonesia, The Netherlands, Spain, and El Salvador in roles that included classroom teacher, literacy coach, Head of Early Years, and Assistant Director of Elementary at both International Baccalaureate and American schools.
  • Photo of Soni Fulp
    Mrs. Soni Fulp
    Preschool
    Preschool Lead Teacher Twos
    Bio
     
    Soni has a bachelor’s degree in history from Salem College. She worked for IBM in Raleigh before moving to Winston-Salem to raise her family. Soni started working for Knollwood Baptist Church Preschool when her own young children attended school there. She worked at Knollwood for eight years as a co-lead teacher for children ages infant to 2. Soni and her husband Errin have three children: Jake, Martin, and Ehren.
  • Photo of Elizabeth Gunter
    Ms. Elizabeth Gunter
    Preschool
    Preschool Assistant Teacher/Fulp
    Bio
     
    Born and raised in Winston-Salem, Elizabeth earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology with an emphasis in social services and a minor in youth development studies from Clemson University.
  • Photo of Paige Herbach
    Ms. Paige Herbach
    Preschool
  • Photo of Alexandra Hojnacki
    Ms. Alexandra Hojnacki
    Counseling, Preschool, Wellness and Belonging
    Preschool Wellness & Belonging Advisor | Middle School Volleyball Coach
  • Photo of Shelly Leighton
    Ms. Shelly Leighton
    Preschool
    Preschool Lead Teacher Twos
    Bio
     
    Shelly has been working with young children for more than 25 years. After earning her associate’s degree in early childhood education from Westbrook College in Portland, Maine, Shelly began teaching 4-year-olds at Smart Start Child Care Center. She has since served as a child care center director, as an educational technology teacher, and as a lead teacher in the 2-year-old class at New Philadelphia Moravian Preschool in Winston-Salem. From 2007 to 2015, she served as lead teacher in the toddler room at New Philadelphia.
  • Photo of Allison Panzano
    Ms. Allison Panzano
    Preschool
  • Photo of Marisol Ruano-Vargas
    Ms. Marisol Ruano-Vargas
    Preschool
    Preschool and Lower School Spanish Teacher
    Bio
     
    Marisol has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Winston-Salem State University. Prior to coming to FCDS, she was an instructional assistant in Davie County Schools for five years where she was named instructional assistant of the year. She lives with her partner, Alex.
  • Photo of Nayibe Testamarck
    Ms. Nayibe Testamarck
    Preschool
    After School Teacher
  • Photo of Bruce Tippette
    Mr. Bruce Tippette
    Fine Arts (LS), Preschool
    Preschool and Lower School Music Teacher
    Bio
     
    Originally from Garner, N.C., Bruce earned two bachelor’s degrees in music from Appalachian State University (music education and music composition/theory). He also earned a master’s degree in music from UNC School of the Arts. 

    An NC Teaching Fellow Recipient, Bruce is a trained classical pianist, vocalist, and percussionist as well as a professional composer with more than 60 publications geared toward the world of K-12 educational music. A former high school chorus/band director, for the past nine years Bruce has taught pre-school, elementary, and middle school students in youth choirs at a downtown church and led several handbell choirs (children, middle/high school, and adults). 

    Bruce and his wife Elizabeth have a son, Liam, and a daughter, Madeline.
Our faculty knows our students’ names, supports them, encourages them, and is always pulling for them. In this way, our staff continually draws out the best in each and every child, showing them how to study, advocate for themselves, and develop a solid work ethic.

Teachers, coaches, and counselors are all invested in making sure each child is valued, understood, and challenged at the right time. This individual approach – along with small class sizes – allows your child to flourish and be prepared for what's ahead.
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Forsyth Country Day School (FCDS) is a private, college preparatory, independent school for preschool through high school located in Lewisville, NC, just outside of Winston-Salem. Students benefit from a challenging academic curriculum, fine and performing arts, competitive athletics, and a wide selection of extracurricular activities.

Non-Discrimination Policy: Forsyth Country Day School is committed to administering all education and employment activities without discrimination based on one’s race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, age, ability, gender identity, or sexual orientation.