Dr. Branch holds degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University. He served as the principal of two elementary and two middle schools in the Wake County Public School System as well as director of the districts middle schools. In 2012 Dr. Branch was Wake County’s Principal of the Year. Additionally, he has served as adjunct professor of educational leadership at North Carolina State University as well as executive coach for the University’s Northeast Leadership Academy. In this position, Dr. Branch provided real-time coaching to students who were completing internships in school administration as well as training and support for them as they moved into school leader positions.
Ms. Flock has a degree in Social Sciences from Washington State University with North Carolina teaching certifications in High School and Middle School Sciences, Exceptional Children, and Special Education. She has taught middle and high school sciences and mathematics for over fifteen years in area public and private schools. At her schools, she pioneered clubs such as Science Olympiad, Forensics, Psychology, and the Science Fair. She joined the Hopewell Academy in 2013 and uses inquiry-based learning and projects for strong student-centered instruction. In her spare time Ms. Flock raises four children and plays volleyball and tennis.
Ms. Russo joins the Hopewell Academy family with twenty years of certified experience instructing students with a wide range of educational talents and learning challenges in grades 6-12. A French, English, and Secondary Education graduate of Notre Dame College and with a Master’s Equivalency from Maryland, her expertise includes identifying and addressing the needs of students, teaching productive study skills, and improving performance and academic confidence. Moreover, she uses her Advanced Placement English Literature and Language credentials throughout her classes. Cornelia has been a freelance writer for many NC and out-of-state publications, a radio commentator, lecturer, and curriculum program writer. Among her interests are the great outdoors, writing, design, and history.
Mr. Traini is a graduate of Glassboro State College with a master’s degree from Princeton University in educational administration and a bachelor’s degree in philosophy. He received his teaching certificates in science and physical science from Rutgers University. Before joining Hopewell, Mr. Traini was the assistant principal at a high school in New Jersey for fifteen years. Impressively, Mr. Traini is a 14-time competitor on the game show Jeopardy. He is well-known in our school community as a punster and trivia expert. Mr. Traini has been with Hopewell since 2009 and lives with his family in Cary.
Mr. Lopez holds degrees from the National Pedagogical University of Honduras and the Catholic University of Honduras. He also studied Health Information Technology at Delgado College in Louisiana and he has North Carolina certifications in Spanish and English as a Second Language. He has taught ESL at both the high school and college levels in Honduras for over fifteen years. More recently, Mr. Lopez has been working as a translator, interpreter, and language instructor in Mexico and the USA. Last year he worked as an ESL teacher in Franklin County Schools. Mr. Lopez and his beautiful family have fallen in love with Cary, and they look forward to contributing to the success and growth of the Hopewell family.
Kristopher Hanks graduated in 2016 from North Carolina Central University in Durham, NC with a dual-degree in Physical Education and Health plus NC Teaching Certifications in PE and Health (K-12). Coach Hanks worked as a long-term substitute teacher with Wake County Schools for three years before arriving at Hopewell Academy. He has also spent nearly a decade working with school-age children in both camp counseling and camp directing positions. Coach Hanks played collegiate soccer, football, and swimming. Continuing to stoke his competitive fires, he participates in several area adult sports leagues. When Coach isn’t teaching or playing sports, he spends as many hours as he can at home raising his son. He looks forward to using his content knowledge and passion for sports to create a vivacious, athletic environment for the Tigers in the coming years.
Karen Daley teaches Social Studies and Art at Hopewell Academy since 2011-2012 school year and before that in high school and middle school in California and Oregon. She graduated from Santa Clara University with a degree in Social Sciences and received her teaching credentials for secondary education from Concordia University, Irvine, CA. She is also a freelance writer for local publications and an vg artist, completing many murals in the Triangle. Mrs. Daley moved to Cary, North Carolina thirteen years ago with her husband and three daughters. In her free time, Mrs. Daley loves to be outside. Originally from California, it is in her nature to love being outside. She likes to run and has completed four half-marathons plus you will find her walking her dogs around the town of Cary. Also, Mrs. Daley loves to spend time with her family watching movies, baking, or completing family projects.
Entering Hopewell Academy, you will be greeted by the warm, friendly smile of Ms. Tiffany Edwards, our administrative assistant. Ms. Edwards holds a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Development from the University of Mount Olive. Her sixteen years of teaching experience in the preschool setting include Head Start, private and franchise childcare centers, tutoring, after-school programs and mother-hood. As an educator, she believes in providing learning experiences that will enrich the students’ development through a holistic approach. In her spare time, Ms. Edwards enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with her adult daughter Bria.
