Meet our Parent Ambassadors!

Hello! My name is Lori Bardo. Our family relocated to North Carolina from Alexandria, Virginia. We are a military family that has several moves under our belt. In the several moves we have made in as many years, we finally feel "at home." The Epiphany School of Global Studies has been a large part of that reason. One of our favorite things about Epiphany has been the intimate class sizes and the ability for our daughter to thrive and not be overlooked in a larger classroom setting. Our child also excels in sports and drama, so Epiphany has checked all of the boxes. With my flexible work schedule, I've been blessed with the opportunity to substitute and volunteer at Epiphany. These experiences have allowed me to view, first-hand, the dedication of the staff and the unity of the student body. Please feel free to reach out with any questions!

My name is Tripp Carroll. I grew up in eastern North Carolina. I graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in finance and worked as a financial advisor for a period of time in southwest Virginia before moving to Chapel Hill. My wife Sarah and I lived in Chapel Hill for over ten years while she completed school and her medical training at the University of North Carolina. We moved to New Bern in 2018 with our two boys. Daniel (9) is in third grade and Dalon (6) is in first grade at The Epiphany School of Global Studies. My family has a long-standing commitment to education. My grandfather was the superintendent of Robeson County schools for many years. My mother was an elementary school teacher for over thirty years and my father was a high school teacher, athletic director, and dedicated coach.

Hello, my name is Meredith Geiger. My husband Joe and I moved to New Bern almost nineteen years ago from Michigan. Being just-married and with no kids on the horizon, we hadn’t thought about the quality of local schools. Eventually kids did come, and I started to look at options and ask questions. We were excited to hear about Epiphany and all it had to offer. Spanish immersion, global educational opportunities, unparalleled college preparedness, and a religious foundation were the big boxes Epiphany checked for us. Our kids, now in seventh and fifth grades, are enduring challenging and enlightening curriculums while being involved in a variety of social functions, travel opportunities, and athletic teams. I enjoy volunteering at both the Henderson and Trent campuses and look forward to how our kids continue to evolve and grow at Epiphany.

We joined the Epiphany family for the 2022-2023 school year when we enrolled our Middle School boys in the sixth and seventh grades after they had previously attended private school, public school and then homeschool. Our boys eagerly jumped right in, joining all aspects of student life and excelling in academics, sports, and clubs. They LOVE attending Epiphany. I think that says a lot for Middle School boys! Our family has felt so welcomed and we have been so happy with every aspect of the school that we decided to enroll our current second and fifth graders for the current 2023-2024 school year. We plan to enroll our youngest in kindergarten next year.

The Knott family moved from Texas to New Bern in 2022 when Edmund accepted a new position with the CarolinaEast Health System. Moving from a large city to New Bern was quite a transition at first but John (sixth grade) and Caroline (fourth grade) have adjusted well and found their places at Epiphany. John is enjoying athletics and student life in the Middle School, and Caroline is enjoying her electives and fine arts events like the Talent Show in the Lower School. Before taking on her role as director of the Knott household, Holly managed the college recruiting program for a regional Texas bank for several years. Holly now enjoys all things related to cooking and baking, bible study, walks with friends, and volunteer roles at Epiphany.

My husband Rob and I moved to Morehead City from Vail, Colorado, in 2006 to raise our family. We had been looking into Epiphany for a few years, but the commute was an issue. Tahira patiently kept me in the loop over the years, never pressuring us to make any decision. We finally moved our daughter over in 2023. The addition of transportation from Morehead made it a no-brainer. Our daughter came in as a seventh grader, which we were a little concerned about since Middle School can be a tough transition. However, our experience at Epiphany has been better than we ever could imagine. It is such a loving and nurturing environment balanced with rigorous academics. It has just the right amount of challenge our daughter needed. We feel blessed to be able to have our daughter attend such an incredible school.

My name is Noël Wildauer, and my husband and I have four kids at Epiphany. Our younger three began in 2019 in grades K, 2, and 4. My stepdaughter began in 2020 in ninth grade. My husband and I are both retired military and found the global studies focus with a Judeo-Christian foundation the perfect combination for our kids. We want to show our kids the world through family travel and Epiphany travel, let them celebrate Christmas and the Feast of Epiphany in public, learn another language, play sports, and receive an exceptional education.

Hello! My name is Sam Zavitz and my family is still very new to New Bern, having moved here in August 2023. My husband and I have one daughter and we made our way to Epiphany after realizing we needed a better fit for Cate. The transition to Epiphany was incredibly easy and we knew right away it was the perfect fit for her. Our daughter is being challenged academically and at the same time, she is readily accepted into the social-emotional world of Epiphany’s upper school. Cate happily participates in school and extra-curricular events and we can’t wait to see what next year brings as Cate enters her senior year. As a parent, I enjoy seeing the student body when I volunteer in the front office and coach the Spirit Squad cheer and dance team.