Sherry is currently employed at Appalachian State University as part of College Access Partnerships. She serves as a Navigator (facilitator and coach) for an educational research project called Empowering Teacher Learning. The research project is striving to improve conditions for middle school teachers in rural western North Carolina by providing support for Teacher Directed Professional Development. After teaching special education and English language arts for twelve years in public schools, Sherry shifted her attention to social services where she was the administrator of a food bank and Lead Advocate at a domestic violence shelter. She also served as the Director of Mentorship and Empowerment at Arizona’s Children Association where she was involved in programming for youth transitioning out of foster care. She is currently enrolled in the Curriculum Specialist master’s program at Appalachian State University. With a thorough understanding of both education and social services, her primary passion is the expansion of Trauma Sensitive Schools; a topic that she hopes to influence through her participation in the North Carolina Education Policy Fellowship.