South Africa Institute: Meet the Team

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2026 South Africa Institute Participants

 

	Jonathan Arp Director of Bands, Grades 6-8  Rose Hill-Magnolia Elementary School, Duplin County Hobbies: Travel, video games, Anime, cooking. Looking forward to: I am most excited to see the different kinds of wildlife in South Africa!
	Pansy Brown Third Grade Teacher Chinquapin Elementary School, Duplin County Hobbies: Running, reading, and traveling. Looking forward to:I am most looking forward to collaborating with fellow educators and bringing some South African inspiration back to my own classroom. I am excited about experiencing the national parks and observing their biodiversity first-hand and of course, searching for the iconic “Big 5”.
	Katie Clemmons Eighth Grade Science Teacher Endeavor Charter School, Wake County Hobbies: I enjoy staying active and spending time outdoors—whether that’s yoga, gardening, or just being in nature. I also like making jewelry and playing trivia when I get the chance. I spend a lot of my time cheering on my twin daughters at their basketball, cross country, and track meets. My favorite hobby, though, is cooking and tasting new foods and trying new recipes! Looking forward to: Animals, animals, and more animals! I am also excited to explore new ecosystems and visiting The Cradle of Humankind to learn more about human evolution firsthand. It is amazing to think I will be walking through the same places as our earliest ancestors. I am really looking forward to working with other educators in North Carolina and South Africa.
	Sierra Gary-Timmons AVID Teacher and Site Coordinator Guy B. Phillips Middle School, Orange County Hobbies: Cooking, walking, writing, watching Netflix, and indoor gardening. Looking forward to: I am looking forward to experiencing another culture and seeing large wildlife!
	AJ Gunter Science Teacher Wilson Academy of Applied Technology, Wilson County Hobbies: Travel, hiking, sports, reading. Looking forward to:I am looking forward to experiencing the incredible wildlife and culture of South Africa with a group of passionate, dedicated educators across the state of North Carolina. My hope is that this trip will allow us to provide meaningful, engaging learning opportunities for our students and communities upon our return. Bring on the Big Five!
	Wendy Hall Kindergarten Teacher Fairview Elementary School, Union County Hobbies: I enjoy hiking, biking, kayaking, swimming, and backpacking. I also love reading, spending time with family and friends, and staying active in my church community. Looking forward to: I am especially excited to experience first-hand the animals my Kindergarten students dream about seeing. Being able to witness wildlife in its natural habitat will be incredibly meaningful, both personally and professionally. I look forward to bringing those experiences back to my classroom, along with new ideas to enrich our Outdoor Club and deepen environmental education in my Kindergarten curriculum.
	Amanda McCall Media Coordinator Morehead City Primary School, Carteret County Hobbies: I love trying and learning new things! I enjoy spending time with my friends and family. I love reading, going to the beach, and running. I’ve just recently jumped on the Mahjong train. I’m always down for an adventure and to stretch my limits! Looking forward to:I look forward to meeting new educators from across the state and experiencing a place I’ve never travelled! The unknown can sometimes be intimidating and scary, but the only way to grow is push through those nerves. I can’t wait to see what this experience has in store and bring back as much as I can to my little coastal town!
	Dr. Tokitha McWain-Ferguson Regional Principal Lenoir Youth Academy, NC Dept. Public Schools, NC Dept. of Juvenile Justice, Lenoir County Hobbies: Concert traveling, restaurant hopping, event planning, and international travel. Looking forward to:Beyond the landscapes and wildlife, what I am most excited about is learning from the land, from local guides, and from South African educators. Building connections with fellow educators and gaining insight into their perspectives will be just as meaningful as the field experiences themselves. I look forward to those conversations, shared ideas, and the opportunity to grow both personally and professionally.
	Anthony Peterson Science Teacher Clinton High School, Sampson County Hobbies: Skydiving, kayaking, riding horses, hiking, and riding four wheelers, fishing. Looking forward to: I’m looking forward to experiencing the rich culture, history, and diversity that Africa has to offer. I’m excited to meet new people, learn from different perspectives, and see how life is lived in a way that may be different from my own. I’m especially looking forward to the connection—being able to build relationships, share stories, and grow through those interactions. I’m also excited to experience the natural beauty the landscapes, wildlife, and environment that make Africa so unique. Beyond that, I’m looking forward to personal growth—stepping outside of my comfort zone, gaining a deeper appreciation for life, and coming back with a broader mindset. Most of all, I’m looking forward to both the impact I can make and the impact the experience will have on me.
	Sayrd Price Science Teacher Stokes Early College High School, Stokes County Hobbies: I enjoy mountain biking, trail running, and cooking. Looking forward to: Creating unforgettable experiences with adventurous people in one of the world’s most unique settings. Meaningful cultural influences that seek new points of references.
	Viola Sikorska Multilingual Learner/English Learner Teacher Cherokee Central Schools, Swain County Hobbies: Books, outdoors, traveling, gardening, flowers, Ikebana. Looking forward to: Africa has fascinated me for as long as I can remember. Ever since I was a child, I have dreamed of visiting the continent and learning more about its people, cultures, and landscapes. Although I have read many books about Africa over the years, I have never had the opportunity to visit until now. That is why I am incredibly excited to be part of this trip. I am looking forward to experiencing South Africa first-hand; its culture, its people, and its beautiful natural environment. Most of all, I hope to build meaningful connections with my fellow travelers and with the people we meet during our journey. I am excited to learn, explore, and immerse myself in everything this experience has to offer.

South African Educators

	Ntombikhona “Eunice” Makhubu Educational Pracitioner uThandolwethu Day Care Center, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa Hobbies: Baking, listening to music, and reading books. Looking forward to: Meeting everyone!
	Nompumelelo Mavuso Educational Practitioner uThandolwethu Day Care Center, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa Hobbies: Reading books and cooking. Looking forward to: I am looking forward to meeting everyone and learning new things!

Alternates

Amanda Defibaugh Science Teacher Cordova Middle School, Richmond County Hobbies: I enjoy hiking, reading, and doing all things outdoors. I enjoy growing vegetables and raising animals. I like to travel and experience new cultures, places, people and food. Looking forward to: I am looking forward to experiencing a Safari. It has always been at the top of my to-do list. I am so excited to be able to bring my experiences to my classroom and to expand the worldview of my students. I can’t wait to hike, explore, and work with scientists in the field. I hope that I can illuminate travel opportunities and career options for my students. This is going to be a once in a lifetime opportunity that I am sure to cherish and share for many years to come. Let’s go!!!

José Hidalgo Science Teacher Orange High School, Orange County Hobbies: Bird watching, Hiking, Camping, SCUBA diving, mountain biking, reading, soccer, cooking, wrestling, photography. Looking forward to: I’m looking forward to exploring the landscapes, wildlife, and cultures of South Africa first-hand, learning alongside other educators, and bringing those experiences back to inspire my students.

Trip Leaders

 

	Megan Davis Manager of Teacher Education NC Museum of Natural Sciences Hobbies: Chasing and playing with my two kids under 5, cooking and baking, gardening, all things outdoors, and sleeping… that counts as a hobby, right? Looking forward to: I’m excited to step foot on a new continent, and to step into the new reality of being a minority- and all the personal learning and growth that will come from that experience. I can’t wait to travel alongside fabulous educators from NC and South Africa with open eyes and ears watching and listening for new wildlife, learning about new cultures and peoples, and new foods, and to get to experience the country (and a live paleo dig site!) with our own Dr. Christian Kammerer who is a walking encyclopedia. While unlikely that we will see one, I’ll be keeping my eyes open for a honey badger.
	Christy Flint Director of Education NC Museum of Natural Sciences Hobbies: Cooking, kayaking, reading. Looking forward to: Exploring South African ecosystems and culture with this group of talented and dedicated North Carolina educators.
	Dr. Christian Kammerer Research Curator of Paleontology NC Museum of Natural Sciences Hobbies: The cinema, hiking, making mixtapes. Looking forward to: Encountering the living.
	Andrew Torlage Owner and Guide, Vakasha Africa Hobbies: Hiking, running, reading, travel. Looking forward to: Being back in my homeland and sharing it with new and old friends. Seeing what wonders the African bush will produce. Biltong!
	David Nkosi Bird Guide, Vakasha Africa Hobbies: Birding, fishing and soccer and TV watching especially soccer and news. Looking forward to: I’m looking forward to meeting you all, and sharing our beautiful South African nature as well as our local history of our local peoples.