Faculty Directory
The opportunity to work on the leading edge of independent Catholic preparatory education draws qualified, powerful, and passionate teachers to STMA. Serving together with high collaboration and a shared vision, our talented team works tirelessly to form every student for authentic Christian excellence.

Deacon Brad Watkins
Headmaster
Deacon Brad Watkins is the Academy’s headmaster. He also teaches electives in theology, art and design. Deacon Watkins came to the Academy after many years of teaching on both the secondary and collegiate level and several years…

Mrs. Ann Cureton
Registrar
Ann Cureton is the Academy’s registrar and administrative assistant to the leadership team. She supports families with RenWeb, FACTS tuition payment, and all matters of student records. “I came to St. Thomas More after five years…

Dr. Wesley Kirkpatrick
Dean of Studies
Wesley Kirkpatrick leads STMA's academic program. A past recipient of awards from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund, he has been recognized by STMA's founder and chairman Robert Luddy…

Dr. Jake Noland
Dean of Faculty
Jake Noland was born and raised in Virginia, and as the son of a Methodist minister he lived all around the state. He began studying philosophy during his first semester at UVA and started teaching it as a graduate at Texas A…

Mr. Charles McCants
Dean of Students
Charles McCants was born and raised in Raleigh, but went off to Virginia for greater formation in the Classics and Theology. During college he spent a number of weeks at Holy Cross Abbey, a Cistercian monastery in Northern Virginia…

Mrs. Stormy Noland
Admissions Director
Stormy Noland was born and raised in Louisiana and attended Texas A&M University, where she met her husband, Dr. Jake Noland. After finishing her undergraduate studies she worked in mental health and foster care/adoption for over…

Ms. Amanda Bambury
Instructor in Humanities (grades 9-12)
Amanda Bambury was raised at the base of Pikes Peak in Colorado. She first experienced the beauty of Catholic education at the University of Notre Dame, where she studied French and Italian literature. Formed by the Congregation…

Mr. Randall Blessing
Instructor in Science and Mathematics (grades 9-12)
Mr. Blessing sees mathematics and science as forms of play and exploration. “As I teach physics and mathematics I want students to think about situations and problems with me and to experience learning as a process toward fuller…

Mrs. Luisana Briceño
Instructor in Humanities and Languages (grades 6-12)
Luisana Paiva-Briceño was born and raised in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, and came to the United States in 2004. Before coming to STMA she worked as a bilingual teaching consultant at the University of North Carolina and Florida International…

Mrs. Kristy Chandler
Instructor in Humanities and the Performing Arts (grades 6-12)
Mrs. Chandler is the Academy student’s first encounter with the Trivium, the heart of classical education. “As a linguist I am thrilled that we devote substantial time to the study of language. Its exploration paves the way for…

Mr. Doug Cottle
Athletic Director and Instructor in Health and Fitness (grades 6-8)
Bio coming soon!

Mr. Michael D'Andrea
Instructor in Science and Mathematics (grades 9-12)
Michael D’Andrea studied engineering at the United States Naval Academy and then continued his studies in Pensacola, training as a pilot. “I saw first hand how the critical thinking and the systematic approach to problem solving…


Mr. William Hardin
Instructor in Humanities (grades 6-12)
William Hardin was born in Texas and raised in Louisiana. He made his way to North Carolina to attend Duke Divinity school after spending time studying theology in Europe. The order and beauty of Greek, Hebrew, and Latin were…

Mrs. Patricia Hartley
Service & Outreach Coordinator
Originally from the Hudson Valley in New York State, Patricia Hartley relocated with her husband to North Carolina in 1997. She became a stay-at-home mom with the birth of her first daughter in 1998. During the next 16 years…

Ms. Bernadett Horvath
Instructor in Music (grades 6-12)
Bernadett Horvath was born and raised in Hungary and came to the United States in 2017. Before coming to STMA she worked as a teacher and choir conductor in Budapest, then as a private violin and piano instructor at The Musicians…

Ms. Shari Huggett-Milton
Instructor in Non-Cognitive Skills (grades 11-12)
An accomplished artist and entrepreneur in dance, Ms. Shari Huggett-Milton founded one of Raleigh's most successful studies, Southern Star. In her studio the "culture and philosophy is simple: treat others as we would like to…

Mrs. Kelly Jackson
Instructor in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering (grades 6-12)
Kelly Jackson was born and raised in New Jersey where she attended Catholic school through high school. Drawn to a warmer climate with the ability to study engineering, she got her bachelor’s and master’s degree in civil engineering…

Mr. Robert Kirkendall
Instructor in Humanities (grades 9-12)
Born and raised the son of a Baptist pastor in Northern California, Robert Kirkendall has developed a keen interest in Scripture and literature from a young age. “I recall my sense of awe at the great doctrines of the Incarnation…

Mrs. Kate Kirkpatrick
Instructor in Humanities and Science (grades 6-12)
Kate Kirkpatrick was born and raised in Chicago. She teaches core and elective courses in history and science for both the middle and upper schools. Mrs. Kirkpatrick graduated magna cum laude from Franciscan University. …

Mr. Francis Nolan
Instructor in Science and Mathematics (grades 6-12)
B.S., Belmont Abbey College. Bio coming soon!

Ms. Adriana Watkins
Instructor in Humanities (grades 6-12)
Adriana Watkins was born in North Carolina and raised in Stuttgart, Germany. She arrived at St. Thomas More Academy as a transfer student and took interest in the vocation of teaching. After graduating, she attended Boston College…

Reverend Monsignor Jeffrey Ingham
Spiritual Director
Monsignor Jeffrey Ingham was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He attended Borromeo Seminary College in Cleveland, earning his B.A. in Scholastic Philosophy in 1969. He then attended St. Mary Seminary and Graduate School of Theology in…