Student Support

Accessibility Services

First Year Academy

First Year Academy (FYA) promotes student success by empowering students to achieve education and career goals. The academy's mission is to help students succeed by encouraging them to take responsibility for their education.

FYA works closely with the Academic Foundations Department through ACA-090 – Student Success Strategies. Students required to take MAT-003 or ENG-002 are also advised to take ACA-090 during their first semester at Wake Tech. All University Transfer degree programs require students to complete ACA-122 – College Transfer Success. This course helps students map their pathway from Wake Tech to the four-year institution of their choice.

For more information, contact FYA Department Head Diane Haigler at 919-866-5198 or [email protected].

Diane Haigler

Diane Haigler, Ph.D.

Department Head

~ Contact Info ~

[email protected]

Southern Wake Campus
Building B - 364

919-866-5198 (office)

View Full Bio

Diane Haigler

Diane Haigler, Ph.D.

Department Head

~ Campus Info ~

[email protected]

Southern Wake Campus
Building B - 364

919-866-5198 (office)

Diane has worked at Wake Tech since 1999 in a variety of roles. In 2014, she began developing the ACA-122 course and taught the course in both seated and online formats until January 2023, when she became the department head for First Year Academy. She is very excited to return to an administrative role and enjoys helping faculty grow professionally.

She is originally from Morgantown, W.Va., and earned a BA in Psychology from West Virginia University. She earned both an MS and a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Stacy Barnes

Stacy Barnes

Assistant Professor

~ Contact Info ~

[email protected]

Southern Wake Campus
Building B - 365

919-866-5223 (office)

View Full Bio

Stacy Barnes

Stacy Barnes

Assistant Professor

~ Campus Info ~

[email protected]

Southern Wake Campus
Building B - 365

919-866-5223 (office)

Stacy is passionate about student success at Wake Tech and beyond. With a BS in Education and an M.Ed. in Reading, she enjoys teaching students of all ages.

Brandi Blanchard

Brandi Blanchard

Assistant Professor

~ Contact Info ~

[email protected]

Southern Wake Campus
Building B - 365

View Full Bio

Brandi Blanchard

Brandi Blanchard

Assistant Professor

~ Campus Info ~

[email protected]

Southern Wake Campus
Building B - 365

Brandi joined Wake Tech full-time in 2006. She has taught in the First Year Academy part-time since January 2014 and joined the department as a full-time faculty member in August 2024. Brandi is passionate about teaching students and making sure they reach their goals of success in whatever it means to them. She appreciates being able to work one-on-one with students in both seated and online learning environments and encourages each student to always do his or her very best. Success is not measured in one standard form and will look different for each student.

Some of her greatest accomplishments while teaching include serving as an EPIC Mentor and holding a number of certifications that include the following:

EPIC Master Certification
Microsoft Certified Educator
Microsoft Office Specialist 2019 – Expert
Microsoft Office Specialist 2019 Excel - Expert
Microsoft Office Specialist 2019 PowerPoint
Microsoft Office Specialist 2019 Word - Expert

Brandi has an AAS degree in Office Administration from Wake Tech and a BS in Business and Information Technologies Education and an MS in Vocational Education, both from East Carolina University.

Deanna Blatchford

Deanna Blatchford

Professor

~ Contact Info ~

[email protected]

Southern Wake Campus
Building B - 359

919-866-7104 (office)

View Full Bio

Deanna Blatchford

Deanna Blatchford

Professor

~ Campus Info ~

[email protected]

Southern Wake Campus
Building B - 359

919-866-7104 (office)

Deanna has spent 20 years in education, joining Wake Tech in 2010 to serve in a variety of faculty and student success roles. She joined the First Year Academy as the Lead ACA-090 instructor in Spring 2021. She is passionate about holistic student support.

Deanna has a BS in Math and Science Education from North Carolina State University and an MS in Counseling from UNC-Greensboro.

Jamie Burgins

Jamie Burgins, Ed.D.

Instructor

~ Contact Info ~

[email protected]

Scott Northern Wake Campus
Building F - 304

919-532-5856 (office)

View Full Bio

Jamie Burgins

Jamie Burgins, Ed.D.

Instructor

~ Campus Info ~

[email protected]

Scott Northern Wake Campus
Building F - 304

919-532-5856 (office)

Jamie has been an educator for 18 years, with experience as a science teacher, school counselor, school administrator and adjunct instructor. She is excited to join the First Year Academy.

Jamie has a BS in Biology from Stillman College, an M.Ed. in Counseling and Development from Auburn University at Montgomery and Educational Specialist and Ed.D. degrees from UNC-Greensboro.

Cathleen DiDonato

Cathleen DiDonato

Professor

~ Contact Info ~

[email protected]

Southern Wake Campus
Building B - 359

919-866-6178 (office)

View Full Bio

Cathleen DiDonato

Cathleen DiDonato

Professor

~ Campus Info ~

[email protected]

Southern Wake Campus
Building B - 359

919-866-6178 (office)

Cathleen joined Wake Tech full time in 2014 and has been an educator in the state of North Carolina for 18 years. Cathleen is passionate about student success and engaging online learners. One of her favorite parts about teaching ACA-122 is working with students on their transfer goals. She has her EPIC master certification and is an EPIC mentor for new faculty.

Cathleen has a BS in Elementary Education from Westfield State University and an M.Ed. in Reading from Meredith College.

Nicole Gantt

Nicole Gantt

Associate Professor

~ Contact Info ~

[email protected]

Southern Wake Campus
Building B - 365

919-866-5310 (office)

View Full Bio

Nicole Gantt

Nicole Gantt

Associate Professor

~ Campus Info ~

[email protected]

Southern Wake Campus
Building B - 365

919-866-5310 (office)

Nicole enjoys teaching ACA because each student in her class is unique and has great potential.

Originally from Baltimore, she came to North Carolina to attend Campbell University, where she earned a BS in Education and an M.Ed. in Math Education.

Marc Kasten

Marc Kasten

Instructor

~ Contact Info ~

[email protected]

Scott Northern Wake Campus
Building F - 312

View Full Bio

Marc Kasten

Marc Kasten

Instructor

~ Campus Info ~

[email protected]

Scott Northern Wake Campus
Building F - 312

Marc has been a professional educator since 2007 and began teaching at Wake Tech in 2018.

An alumnus of Wake Tech and North Carolina State University, he also earned a master's of education at Xavier University and an MA in Hebrew Letters from Hebrew Union College. He also serves as a chaplain in the United States Army Reserve.

Emily Koon

Emily Koon

Instructor

~ Contact Info ~

[email protected]

Scott Northern Wake Campus
Building F - 304

919-532-5856 (office)

View Full Bio

Emily Koon

Emily Koon

Instructor

~ Campus Info ~

[email protected]

Scott Northern Wake Campus
Building F - 304

919-532-5856 (office)

Emily has worked in higher education for 14 years and began working for Wake Tech in 2023. Her own career transition from commercial property management to education sparked her passion for helping students create academic and career goals that will lead them to happiness and success in life.

Emily attended Brigham Young University and then earned a MA in Humanities from Florida State University. She has lived in North Carolina for three years. In her free time, Emily enjoys reading, singing and learning new things.

Queen Lane

Queen Lane

Assistant Professor

~ Contact Info ~

[email protected]

Scott Northern Wake Campus
Building F - 314

919-532-5511 (office)

View Full Bio

Queen Lane

Queen Lane

Assistant Professor

~ Campus Info ~

[email protected]

Scott Northern Wake Campus
Building F - 314

919-532-5511 (office)

Queen joined First Year Academy in 2019 with a passion for inspiring students to be their best. She is dedicated to student development and pairing students to educational resources so they can focus on learning.

As a Virginia native, she earned a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Alabama and an MBA from Nova Southeastern University.

Bethanie Lister

Bethanie Lister

Instructor

~ Contact Info ~

[email protected]

Wake Tech East
Building C - 135H

919-532-5867 (office)

View Full Bio

Bethanie Lister

Bethanie Lister

Instructor

~ Campus Info ~

[email protected]

Wake Tech East
Building C - 135H

919-532-5867 (office)

Bethanie is passionate about helping students from all backgrounds. She began her position at Wake Tech with First Year Academy in 2023. She has been teaching in North Carolina since 2013. Originally from western North Carolina, she attended Isothermal Community College and Appalachian State University and has a master's degree in Spanish Education.

Christina Migielicz

Christina Migielicz

Professor

~ Contact Info ~

[email protected]

Scott Northern Wake Campus
Building F - 312

919-532-5721 (office)

View Full Bio

Christina Migielicz

Christina Migielicz

Professor

~ Campus Info ~

[email protected]

Scott Northern Wake Campus
Building F - 312

919-532-5721 (office)

Christina joined the First Year Academy team in August 2014 and works daily to promote student success and achievement. She was born and raised in the Philadelphia suburbs but relocated to North Carolina after she completed her bachelor's degree. She continued her education at North Carolina State University, earning an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction.

Christina serves as a CETL associate and is a part of Wake Tech's On Course leadership team. She is EPIC 30 certified, works as an EPIC 30 mentor and is a member of the Faculty Rank Committee.

Candice Solis

Candice Solis, J.D.

Instructor

~ Contact Info ~

[email protected]

Scott Northern Wake Campus
Building F - 314

919-532-5787 (office)

View Full Bio

Candice Solis

Candice Solis, J.D.

Instructor

~ Campus Info ~

[email protected]

Scott Northern Wake Campus
Building F - 314

919-532-5787 (office)

Candice is a dedicated educator, advocate and overall champion for student success. Candice obtained a BA in Criminal Justice from Virginia Commonwealth University. She attended Arizona State University, where she received her MA in Criminal Justice, and the North Carolina Central University School of Law in Durham, where she received her JD. Even though she began her career in the law, she became a professional educator in 2014 and discovered a deep passion for helping students succeed.

In 2023, Candice joined the First Year Academy. She enjoys teaching ACA classes at Wake Tech and enjoys helping students navigate their academic journey. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, listening to true crime podcasts and attending live theatrical performances.

Translation