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Asheboro Zoo School Staff
Meet the AHS Zoo School Staff : AHS Zoo School Technology : Ribbon Cutting (Photos)
Heather Soja - Biology, AHS Zoo School Lead Teacher
Heather Soja is native North Carolinian and resides with her family near Seagrove, N.C. She received her bachelor’s degree in Biology from UNC-Wilmington and earned her M. Ed in Curriculum and Instruction in Science from UNC-Greensboro. She earned National Board Certification in 2004. She has a passion for the sciences and enjoys spending time doing field ecology work with her family when the opportunity arises.
Heather is excited about the AHS Zoo School because of the opportunity for students to learn in an engaging, non-traditional classroom with a curriculum that truly integrates relevant science content. She feels that this unique setting will provide students with the freedom to learn by doing while simultaneously developing relevant conceptual constructs needed to assimilate and then apply such knowledge.
Rhonda Dillingham - English
In addition to a teaching background, Rhonda Dillingham is a certified dental assistant, earning her certification upon completion of the dental assisting program at Guilford Technical Institute in 1984. Having been employed for a number of years in the dental field, Rhonda decided to pursue her first love: teaching. While working full-time, Rhonda enrolled at Greensboro College and graduated with honors in 1996 with a B.A. in secondary English education. She has been employed at Asheboro High School since 1997 and earned her National Board Certification in November 2005.
As a member of the AHS Zoo School, Rhonda’s purpose for participating is reflected in a portion of Henry David Thoreau’s Walden: “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.” She believes the Zoo affords a unique place for students to develop their strengths and to create a meaningful, personal context for learning.
Michele Cudd - Math
Michele Cudd grew up in Hammond, Louisiana, just east of Baton Rouge. She completed an undergraduate degree in both Mathematics and French, followed by a Master of Business Administration degree with a finance concentration. Raised by a family of educators, she recognized from an early age that teaching needed to be a part of her future happiness. She is thrilled to have the opportunity to teach mathematical concepts in this unique setting.
Michele’s favorite playground is the outdoors and her happiest moment was riding an elephant in the jungles of Thailand. She looks forward to combining her unique traveling experiences and her mathematical knowledge with the opportunities here at the Zoo to provide an engaging learning experience for the students. Just before moving to North Carolina she worked as a naturalist educator and now she has her dream job here at the AHS Zoo School – a combination of math and nature!
Lowell Pocock - Social Studies
Lowell Pocock was born in Northern Indiana and moved to Randolph County in 1992. He is a graduate of Asheboro High School class of 1999. After graduating AHS, Mr. Pocock attended Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee, where he achieved his Bachelor of Science Degree in Human Development with a focus on Education. Mr. Pocock returned to Asheboro City Schools after completing his undergraduate degree and taught 5th grade at Balfour Elementary School. The following year he accepted a position at Asheboro High School teaching Social Studies. Since becoming a teacher at AHS, Mr. Pocock has had many exciting events take place, though none more exciting than his marriage to his loving wife Mary.
“I am excited about the opportunity to approach Social Studies education in a unique and challenging environment. I enjoy taking part in camping, hiking, and many other outdoor activities. I also enjoy traveling the world and have been involved in adventures to China, Africa, and many European countries. I hope to bring my love of travel and nature into the classroom to enrich the educational experience for the students. I believe the sky is the limit for every student at the AHS Zoo School and I look forward to working with each one of them to achieve new heights.”
Explore more: Meet the AHS Zoo School Staff : AHS Zoo School Technology : Ribbon Cutting (Photos)