My name is Megan Cassimatis, but the kids call me Ms. C! This will be my third year at Stough and I'm excited to continue working with the Kindergarten team. I grew up in Cary, North Carolina and attended Meredith College. In my free time I enjoy crocheting, rock climbing, and reading! The best part of my job is building relationships with my students and creating a safe space in which they can learn, grow, and be themselves. I'm looking forward to another great school year!

I'm #StoughProud because: I love the strong sense of community at Stough, both among the students and among the staff.

Hi! My name is Jessi Brearley and I am an Instructional Assistant for both Kindergarten and 1st Grade here at Stough Elementary. I was born in New Mexico, grew up in Upstate New York, and have called Raleigh my home for 15 years now. I have 3 awesome kids who keep me very busy, but in my free time I enjoy gardening and being outdoors, reading, cooking, traveling and going to sports events. I'm inspired by our teachers and am passionate about education and helping children learn and grow.

I'm #StoughProud because: I feel very fortunate and grateful to be working with students and to be a part of the Stough family.

I was born in Taiwan and lived there for over 20 years, then I moved to NC and have been living here for over 20 years. Because of this, I feel like a tree with roots reaching both Taiwan and the US. I have a double major concentration in Civil Engineering and Surveying Technology and have been teaching Mandarin Chinese for eight years. In my free time, I love nature walks, hikes, or just being outdoors. I love meeting new people and hearing about their stories, so I look forward to getting to know everyone at Stough and helping as many people and kids as I can.

I'm #StoughProud because: I think Mandarin Chinese is a beautiful language, so I want to help children who are interested in learning the language and culture to obtain the skill in a fun and comfortable environment.

My name is Lihong Yu and I joined the Stough family in 2018! I grew up in Inner Mongolia, China and attended a Chinese teaching college before teaching at a middle school in Beijing for 5 years. I moved to North Carolina in 2001, with my family, and have since taught at Raleigh Academy of Chinese Language (RACL) and Champion Learning Academy. Outside of work, I enjoy cooking Chinese dishes, painting, traveling, and spending time with my kids. Over my decade-long teaching career, I've had the pleasure of helping students enhance their Chinese language skills, and I look forward to another successful school year.

I'm #StoughProud because: I enjoy the time that I spend with kids and enjoy their progress in learning Chinese while promoting cultural awareness and knowledge in Mandarin.

My name is Leonette Adkins and I have been a teacher assistant at Stough Elementary for the past 21 years. I grew up in South Carolina but lived in Kentucky and Michigan before settling in North Carolina. I hold an degree in Business, and prior to moving into education I was in the field of Information Processing holding positions in training and systems administration.

I'm #StoughProud because: When my family and I moved to North Carolina, my neighborhood was districted to Stough Elementary. I became active in the PTA and was a volunteer in the classrooms. After a couple of years, I was fortunate enough to become a staff member at Stough. Both of my girls attended until they were redistricted, but I stayed at Stough. I have seen a lot of changes through the years, but Stough continues to be the best school.

I am a second grade instructional assistant. I am from a little town called "Dillon," it's in SC South Carolina . I lived there for 31 years, until I moved to Raleigh, NC. I have been married for 25 years with three kids, two boys who are in their twenties and a 15-year-old daughter. I love working with the students because it is important to me that they make the right decisions in school and to help them achieve the best education possible.

My name is Siedah Freeman and this is my fourth year at Stough Elementary. I enjoy working with children and watching their progress. I am originally from eastern North Carolina but I have been living in Raleigh since 2016. I enjoy traveling, trying new restaurants, and spending time with my family. I have two daughters, Aliyah Katelyn and Blair Mckenzie.