My name is Kevin Ebner. I am one of the kindergarten teachers at Ballentine Elementary!  Born and raised in Pennsylvania,  I received my degree from Penn State University and teaching certification from Edinboro University.  It was then that I came to North Carolina to begin my teaching career!  I have a 2 wonderful daughters (ages 15 and 8), the best pup there is named Winnie, and 2 judgemental cats named Betty Jo and Sneaky.  As you can tell, I am an animal person for sure!  I love science and all things nature! I’m also a huge sports fanatic! Having played sports all my life, including college soccer, it is a big part of who I am.  I currently play in a Ball Hockey league, which has even allowed me to even represent Raleigh in a number of large tournaments in various parts of the country.

This will be my 21st year as a teacher, but my 5th in kindergarten.  As I begin my 8th year at Ballentine, I can’t say enough good things about our school or this team of teachers!  I am thrilled to be a part of such an important time for your child and family! It is a year filled with excitement, wonder, and growth!  I look forward to teaming up with you to ensure a memorable and positive first year of school for your child!

My name is Trish Cook.  I absolutely love being a kindergarten teacher at Ballentine.  I have been at this school for seven years and I can’t imagine myself anywhere else. 

I began my teaching career in Virginia.  I graduated from Longwood College in 1991 and started teaching special education in Manassas, Virginia. I eventually moved into the general education classroom as a third grade teacher and then fourth grade teacher.  During this time I also received my master's degree in education from George Mason University.  I stayed at the same school for 23 years before my husband and I made the big move to Fuquay-Varina in 2015.  We chose a house that just so happened to have an elementary school in the neighborhood so naturally I felt Ballentine would be a good fit!  I have been absolutely happy here ever since.

I love to read and enjoy spending time with my two dogs- Bella (a hound mutt) and Sophie (a beagle).  Students in my class get to hear lots of entertaining stories about these two dogs!  If I won the lottery I would also spend a lot of time traveling- I have had the opportunity to visit places like Ireland, Germany, Holland, France, Aruba, Dominican Republic, Mexico, St. Maarten and even Australia but there is a lot more I would like to see.

My mission as a kindergarten teacher is to provide a warm, nurturing environment where every child feels an important part of a classroom community.  At the end of the year I want my students to be prepared for first grade, filled with many positive and cherished memories of their year in kindergarten.

I'm Brittany Unkefer, and I have the joyous privilege of being a kindergarten teacher at Ballentine Elementary. I grew up in Washington, NC then moved to Southern Pines, NC when I was 14.  With two younger sisters who are 10 and 12 years younger than me, my passion for guiding young minds started early and led me to the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, where I earned my degree in Early Childhood Education.

At home, I have the love and support of my family. My husband, Wayne, our two wonderful children, Rilen and Emma, and our sock-snacking, full of energy dog, George, make my world complete.  In my free time, I enjoy reading on my back porch,  gardening, or shopping.  As a family, we enjoy spending time hiking in the mountains and chasing sunsets at the beach.  We also spend a lot of time in Florida visiting my husband’s family–we love watching rocket launches, swimming with manatees, and of course, going to Disney. 

This will be my tenth year of teaching (four in Johnston County, the rest at Ballentine) after taking 8 years off to raise children.  I left Ballentine in 2014 upon the birth of my son, and returned at the beginning of the 22-23 school year.  Ballentine is a nurturing community full of love and support.  This supporting nurturing environment is what led me back.  Coming back to Ballentine was like coming home.

In my classroom, I strive to understand the individual learning style of each student. I find immense joy in seeing a child's eyes light up when they understand a new concept. For me, this is not just about teaching; it's about fostering a lifelong love of learning in these young hearts.

For me, teaching is more than a career - it's a commitment to the future, one young mind at a time. Each day, I do my best for my students and my family, thankful for the journey I'm on. The privilege of shaping young lives and contributing to their futures is something I hold dear, and I look forward to the many fulfilling years of teaching to come.

Hi!  My name is Rachel Clark and I am thrilled to be teaching at Ballentine!  This will be my seventh year teaching here and I absolutely love it!   Prior to becoming a firefly, I taught for four years at Willow Springs Elementary.  All eleven years I have been teaching have been in Kindergarten.  I love teaching Kindergarten because it is so much fun to see students learn how to read, learn how to solve addition and subtraction problems, make friends, and learn to problem solve!  As a Kindergarten teacher, my goal is to create an environment where students feel safe, know they are loved, and have fun everyday.          

I was born and raised in Raleigh and attended WCPSS schools Kindergarten through 12th grade!  I graduated from NC State University in 2014 with a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education with a STEM concentration.  I am the youngest of five and I try to spend as much time with my family as possible.  In my free time I play soccer, hike at our amazing state parks, and read as much as possible.  I also love attending Carolina Hurricanes hockey games and NC State football games.    

Currently, I live in Fuquay-Varina and I am beyond excited to begin the 2024-2025 school year.  I cannot wait to watch your child GLOW! 

Hi! My name is Kristen Lucidi-Doty and I will be one of Kindergarten's track 4 teachers this year. I was born and raised on Long Island, New York. I have a bachelor's degree in communications from NY Institute of Technology. I also have a masters degree in Education from Long Island University (CW Post). 

In 2006 I made a decision to move to North Carolina with my family. This will be my 19th year of teaching at Ballentine Elementary.  In 2018-2019 I was our schools Teacher of the year. It was an incredible feeling  to be nominated by my peers. Prior to teaching here, I did do a full year of teaching first grade in New York. Once I was at Ballentine I taught first grade for 12 years and for the past seven years I've been in Kindergarten. I love being a part of all the growth that the children make in their first few years of school. 

I have two young adults. Austin will be 26 in October and Karli will be turning 20 in July. We have two cats. Binx is all black and a long haired domestic. He is 8 years old. Then we recently rescued a tuxedo cat. She is 5 1/2 years old. Her name is Luna and she just completes our family.  Well that's what I thought until we got Knoxlee. She is a German shepard / Lab mix. She is 3 years old.

My kids and I travel back to Long Island to visit family and friends at least twice a year.  I also do traveling with friends and family to the North Carolina beaches. Growing up on Long Island with water all around me, I tend to visit the oceans often.  We enjoy playing cards and board games, too. Other things we enjoy are sitting around our fire pit in our back yard listening to Austin play the guitar and Karli and I making s'mores with friends. 

Hello! My name is Kaila Knox and I will be one of the kindergarten teachers on track 4 here at Ballentine Elementary. I was born and raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina. I received my bachelor’s degree in Birth-Kindergarten Teacher Education at East Carolina University. During my undergraduate years, I minored in Disability Studies. I am currently pursuing a master of education degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a Birth-Kindergarten concentration. Go Pirates!

This will be my 4th year teaching at Ballentine Elementary, but I have been working with children for the past 8 years. All three years teaching were in Kindergarten with the first year being fully virtual. I believe in teaching with mindfulness. As an early childhood educator, we stress the importance of teaching the whole child and I believe these go hand-in-hand. I love being an integral part in students' learning. 

I love to travel in my free time. In the future, I want to combine my love of teaching and my love of traveling and teach abroad. I love to learn about others' cultures and explore the world. I can't wait for the next school year! 

Hey! My name is Samantha (Sam) Zugg and I am one of the kindergarten teachers on track 4! This is my second year teaching! I graduated from Campbell University with licensure in both Elementary Education and Birth-Kindergarten. I cheered for many years including all through college which gave me opportunities like flying to games and competing in NCA nationals! 

I've known I wanted to teach since I was very young so getting the opportunity to live out that dream is really exciting for me! I feel that kindergarten is one of the most important years to build a foundation for their future. We will learn to read, write, count and so much more that helps the students be ready for what comes next! I can't wait to be a part of the students' journeys and help them be the best students possible!

In my free time I love to spend time with my family, friends, and my fiance. I love to take trips when we can to visit family or just for an adventure. I love to visit Disney and would one day love to visit some of the parks around the world.  I have a black kitten who will be two in September named River who found me at school. He was four weeks old when we found him and he has grown into such a sweetheart. He keeps the other four pets company at home so there is never a dull moment.

I can't wait to meet all the students this year and begin their education journey together!