Ms. Christie Patrone, Principal

cpatrone@wcpss.net

Christie Patrone is excited to join the Crossroads Flex community as Principal for the 2023-2024 school year.  Ms. Patrone is a product of the Wake County Public School System and attended both Apex Middle School and Apex High School.  After graduating from Apex High School, Ms. Patrone attended Appalachian State University and earned a degree in K-12  Spanish Education.  Since then she has also earned a Masters in School Administration from North Carolina State University and an Educational Specialist Degree from Coastal Carolina in South Carolina. 

Over the course of her career she has had the opportunity to work at both the middle and high school level in both WCPSS and Horry County, SC.  Throughout her career she has  served as an Assistant Principal, Spanish teacher, Intervention Coordinator and Instructional Facilitator.  For the past three years, she has served as an Assistant Principal at Cary High School.  Each of these roles and schools has provided Ms. Patrone with unique experiences and perspectives that will help her lead the Crossroads Flex community.  Ms. Patrone is proud to be a part of a school that provides students with the unique opportunity to pursue their dreams while still engaging in a robust public high school experience.

Mrs. Natascha Genova, Assistant Principal

ngenova@wcpss.net

Ms. Nartarshia Sharpe, Dean of Students

nsharpe@wcpss.net

Ms. Sharpe began her career in education as a middle school Language Arts and Social Studies teacher and went on to work for several years in the Central Office for Wake County Schools. 

Ms. Sharpe is a graduate of UNC Charlotte where she earned a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Sociology. She holds two Master’s degrees from NC State University, one in Curriculum and Instruction and the other in School Counseling.  She is Nationally Board Certified in K-12 School Counseling in 2012.  In her free time, Ms. Sharpe likes to travel, take photographs and watch documentaries.

Mr. Matthew Burich, Math

mburich@wcpss.net

A native of Pensacola, Florida, Mr. Burich graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland with a Bachelor of Science degree in Oceanography and subsequently graduated from advanced Navy Flight Training in Texas in 2004 after completing aircraft carrier landing qualification on the USS George Washington.  He served as a C-2A(R) Greyhound pilot for four years based in Virginia and then as an Instructor of Naval Science at NC State where he concurrently earned a Master of Science degree in Meteorology.  Following additional assignments as an aircraft launch officer on the USS Harry S. Truman and as a T-45C Advanced Strike Instructor Pilot in Mississippi, he was competitively selected for a six year position as a Military Instructor in the Department of Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences at the Naval Academy where he taught courses in advanced atmospheric dynamics and thermodynamics and was twice-nominated for institution-wide teaching awards.  Outside of the classroom, he co-led an internship involving the study of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes in the Midwest and Great Plains each May and served as an instructor and check pilot for the Naval Academy's summer Powered Flight Program for five years.  Over his 20-year Navy career, Mr. Burich deployed three times to the Mediterranean, Middle East, and Horn of Africa regions in support of U.S. and Allied interests and accumulated over 2,000 flight hours and 300 carrier arrested landings.

After retiring from the Navy, Mr. Burich returned to the Triangle region to pursue PhD study in Meteorology at NC State.  Additionally, he taught advanced single and multivariable calculus for one year at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in Durham and, most recently, taught mathematics at Apex Friendship High School.  He thoroughly enjoys being in the classroom and has a passion for blending mathematics and science and promoting deep critical thinking among his students.  

In his free time, Mr. Burich enjoys following severe weather events (and chasing when possible!) as well as kayaking, biking, hiking, and occasional recreational flying.  Most of all, he enjoys spending time with his wife Corinne and seven-year-old son Andrew.  

Mrs. Aimee Diem, Intervention Teacher

adiem@wcpss.net

Aimee Diem has been working as an educator for over 20 years.  She has spent most of her career as a special education teacher and case manager.  Ms. Diem has a true passion for working with students and helping them find success.  She understands that all students learn differently and strives to provide them with the support they need for a rewarding educational experience.

Ms. Diem holds North Carolina teaching certifications in English, special education, and health and physical education. She has coached high school tennis and high school women’s basketball. She has in-depth experience working with struggling readers and has certifications in reading programs that target students with reading deficits.

Ms. Diem grew up at the beach in New Jersey. She graduated from West Chester University in Pennsylvania and attended graduate school at Rowan University in New Jersey. She lived in Maryland for 15 years before moving to North Carolina in 2014. Ms. Diem has 2 children and 3 rescue dogs. In her spare time she can be found tending to her plants, taking pictures, practicing yoga or reading a new book.

Mrs. Melinda Hope, World Languages

mhope@wcpss.net

Mindy Hope is a Raleigh native who attended Wake County Public Schools and has worked in education for 15+ years. She holds a BA in Spanish and Psychology from UNC-Chapel Hill and a Master’s in Teaching Secondary Spanish from Johns Hopkins University. She was a Teach For America – Baltimore Corps Member and is a National Board Certified Spanish Teacher. She has taught High School Spanish at public schools in Baltimore, MD, Ann Arbor, MI, and here in Raleigh. She has also worked as a Guidance Technician and a liaison/advocate for ESL and immigrant students, and as an Academic Coach with the education technology company Edmentum. She is excited for another year at Crossroads FLEX!

Ms. Hope has also coached Lacrosse at many of the schools she has worked at and has taught swim lessons at City of Raleigh pools. She enjoys watching and playing sports, running, traveling, live music, being outside, and spending time with family. Ms. Hope lives with her husband, and 2 little boys who keep her very busy!

Mr. Joshua (Logan) McNeill, CTE

jmcneill4@wcpss.net

Mrs. Gail Lanphear, Lead Secretary/Bookkeeper

             glanphear@wcpss.net 

Mrs. Lanphear joined Crossroads FLEX High School in 2023 after working for 17 years at Fuller GT/AIG Basics Magnet Elementary School, in Raleigh, NC.

Mrs. Lanphear is a native Michigander and moved to North Carolina in 2002 with her husband and two children. In her spare time, she enjoys walking or biking the beautiful trails around the Raleigh area or spending time at the beach.  She enjoys crafting, gardening or curling up with a book when time allows.

Ms. Regina Ray, Data Manager

rray5@wcpss.net

Ms. Lisa Ross, Science

lross2@wcpss.net

With more than 16 years of classroom experience, Lisa Ross is a teacher passionate about helping students use science to understand the world around them. She has had the privilege of teaching all levels and types of students, from pre-K to college level.  Her latest experience was at a school for the visually impaired, where she infused the middle and high school science courses with hands-on and engaging experiences.  Ms. Ross' goal for all students is to learn to approach problems with the critical thinking skills necessary to reach solutions.  She also enjoys applying real world examples to lessons that make science concepts relevant to daily living. Ms. Ross takes pride in creating a supportive and inclusive learning environment that encourages students to ask questions, think creatively, and push the boundaries of what is possible.  When not in the classroom, you can find her exploring new places and enjoying the outdoors as well as spending time with her children. 

Ms. Meghan Taylor, English

mtaylor5@wcpss.net

Mrs. Kasey Turcol, Social Studies

kturcol@wcpss.net

Kasey Turcol graduated from the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia with her undergraduate in Sociology and History.  As an undergraduate, Mrs. Turcol focused her studies on institutions and their impact on society. She wrote her thesis on Alcatraz, tracing the manner in which the National Park Service interprets prison history through the federal penitentiary as societies views on crime evolve. Additionally, she spearheaded two major research projects: a quantitative study for Rappahannock Legal Service in which she was able to indicate the strengths and weakness of their free legal services, and an in-depth qualitative study of young adults with vision impairments and how they navigated early education. The latter research project was presented at Pi Gamma Mu’s Triennial International Conference in 2014 and truly inspired Mrs. Turcol to continue work in the field of education.  In 2015, she earned her Master’s in Education implementing an action research project aimed at teaching twelve grade government students media literacy skills necessary to be politically aware citizens in the digital age.

Mrs. Turcol moved to North Carolina after getting married in August of 2015. She is endorsed in the state of North Carolina to teach 6-12 Social Sciences and 6-12 English Language Arts. She believes that education must be interdisciplinary for it to have a lasting impact on the student.  As a teacher, she emphasizes the importance of reading and writing skills through primary source analysis. Mrs. Turcol encourages all students to continue learning as she, too, intends to continue her education and return back to school for a doctorate degree.  She is excited to work with the talented and innovative students at Crossroads FLEX!