T H E TEAM

Eva Stratos, Founder
and
Kodi, My Puppy

Bethany Young

Laura Graham

 Eva Stratos
Most of my school teaching career has been in the Belle Hall Elementary SAIL Program. I also worked in administration and created summer and after-school programs.
I have been honored to win the following awards:

• National Get Out Spok'n Award for work with my students, The Bike Bunch, to get bike paths on the Arthur Ravenel Bridge.
• SC Environmental Eagles’ Award for two consecutive years,
• Sewee's Environmental Teacher of the Year Award,
• LYA's Idealist Award,
• Belle Hall's Teacher of the Year

In addition, I:

• Was Featured in, Lowcountry Living's, "Exceptional Educators",
• Coached for First LEGO League, winning at Regional Competition 6 times to go State Level Competition, Team won Dorchester Champion Award 2019,
• Coached and Judged for Odyssey of the Mind Program,
• Wrote over $100,000 in school grants,
• Wrote Integrated STEM Curriculum,
• ​Served as Student Council Adviser,
• Have my National Boards, and
• Have a passion for learning and teaching.

Opening Lowcountry Gifted Minds has been a dream of mine for many years.  I am excited to bring the very best classes to the children to the Lowcountry.
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Bethany Young
As a teacher and mother of three, I have been actively involved with all aspects of education.
Education and Experience:

• B.A. Elementary Education- University of North Carolina at Charlotte
• Certified Educator in SC, NC, and GA
• 18 years of professional and volunteer experience in public and private preschool, elementary, middle, and high school settings

​I have a passion for nurturing the potential of young minds by challenging students in a hands-on investigative environment.
Fostering a child’s curiosity and creativity is a privilege and honor that I hold dear as a K-2 teacher. I enjoy helping children learn to think outside the box and grow their inquiring minds while having fun! 

Beth is our Pre-School Expert. She brings exciting lessons to our preschools each week.

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Laura Graham
I am so excited to be a part of Lowcountry Gifted Minds!  I grew up in Columbia, South Carolina and graduated from Converse College in Spartanburg, South Carolina. I have a:

• B.A. in History,
• M. ED. from Converse,
• M.A. in History from The Citadel, and
• National Board Certification. 

I have taught in:

• Spartanburg County,
• Middle Eastern Schools,
• Buist Academy,
• Other CCSD schools, with most years teaching in the Gifted Program.

My specialties are:

• Hands-on Learning
• Working with bright children
• Writing curriculum
• Always looking for new learning opportunities to meet the needs of my students. 

In addition, I have been the administrator for many summer programs.  I am presently the SAIL teacher at Mt. Pleasant Academy. I love to read, travel, teach, and learn.  

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Linda Koester

 I have been an educator for 37 years.  Throughout that time, I have worked with gifted and talented children in my regular classroom and during summer enrichment programs. 

Experience:

• Taught K-High School
• Primarily Teaching 3rd and 4th

Awards:

• Belle Hall Teacher of the Year 2 Times
• Harbor View Teacher of the Year

It has always been my goal to challenge all of my students to help them be the best they can be.  I look forward to continuing this work with Lowcountry Gifted Minds. 

​Cynthia Stelow
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I previously taught in the elementary classroom.  For the past 18 years, I have been a teacher librarian, the last 10 years at Belle Hall Elementary School in Mount Pleasant. My extensive knowledge of reading and children’s literature, reading strategies, and learning styles help to individualize learning to meet the needs of all students.
 
I have received special recognition as a:

• Highly-Qualified Master Teacher
• Belle Hall Teacher of the Year
• CCSD Mentor and Evaluator

My strengths include:

• Creating technology integration through the Digital Learning Cohort
• Collaborating with others to integrate the research process into the curriculum
• Promoting collaboration among students to solve problems

I have a passion for working with students and for learning! I am excited to bring excellent lessons to local children!
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Ariana
STEAM Assistant

School of the Arts
Visual Arts

Ariana loves animals, science, magic, and art.
Ariana helps with many classes. Children love when she arrives at class.

Her favorite STEAM activity is working with Dry Ice to make magic!

Maddie
STEAM Assistant

Wando High School


Maddie loves sports and art.

Maddie is a great help at our Camps. Children are all smiles when they see her.

Her favorite STEAM activity is making gum!  
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​  Jenny Hane
​I have been an educator for over 36 years in Charleston County and spent some time in my early career teaching in the US Virgin Islands. This is where I fell in love with the world under the sea. I enjoyed my weekly scuba dives every bit as much as teaching my second graders!

Education and Experience:

• BA College of Charleston
• M.ED in Open Education from Lesley Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA
• Certification in Gifted Education
• National Board Certification
• Taught in US Virgin Islands on St. Thomas and St. Croix
• Memminger Elementary, 1st and 2nd Graders, Eva Stratos was my student teacher!
• College of Charleston Education Department ( 79-89)
• James B. Edwards SAIL teacher ( 1985-2012)

Specialties:

• A love of teaching.
• Career working with gifted elementary aged children.
• Providing hands-on, open-ended learning experiences.
• Developed and taught a marine science curriculum for third graders, which was adopted county-wide in the Gifted and Talented program.
•  Developed and taught 1st and 2nd grade curriculum for Gifted children.  

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I am excited about sharing my love of marine biology and coastal ecology with young children. Your child will engage in hands-on explorations of the many invertebrates we have on our coast, including dissections of squid and marine snails. Their experiences will answer many questions about the variety of marine invertebrates they will find on their beach excursions this summer.

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Mandy Derrick Williams