Staff Directory

I am blessed to have the opportunity to get to know our students and help them see that with motivation and hard work they can achieve their dreams.

Hello! My name is Laura Finney and I am the counselor at the lower school. I am so excited to be a part of Pine Lake Prep! I hope to support the social, emotional, and academic growth of each student. I have been working with children and families for over 19 years. I live in Mooresville with my husband Kevin, my children, Casen and Hanna, and our goldendoodle, Conan. In my free time I enjoy gardening, boating, and spending time with my family.

Every student is capable of learning, you just need to find their motivation.

I am originally from Buffalo, New York and have taught 6th grade and was a Math Specialist for many years. I have two children who are starting 6th and 4th grade this year. I love baseball and coached many house teams and travel softball. Football is my other favorite sport, go 49ers.

Following my graduation from Wake Forest University, I worked as a Certified Public Accountant in Charlotte and Austin, TX. I developed an interest in teaching while volunteering as an instructor for community organizations. Working as an SAT and high school programs instructor for The Princeton Review, I was inspired to return to college and earned a second degree in mathematics. Prior to moving to Mooresville in 2020, I taught a wide variety of math courses in Virginia and Alabama for 12 years.

I have been married to my husband Brian, who is retired from the Army, for 27 years and we have two children: Grace, a nurse in Charlotte, and Alex, a graduate student at Wake Forest University.

In my free time, I love gardening, restoring old furniture, and traveling to new places. I look forward to helping my students make connections, build confidence, and demonstrate persistence.

I grew up a studio dancer and traveled to compete in clogging. (Fun fact: Clogging is the state folk dance of North Carolina) I began teaching as a studio substitute instructor at the age of 14 and became a dance instructor at 18. After moving to North Carolina, I became the director of two professional-level sports dance team programs while continuing to perform as a member of a local professional dance company. Now that I have retired from performing I am focused on growing the next generation of dance artists. My philosophy as an instructor goes beyond technique and choreography. My curriculum also includes teaching students how to create dance. I teach improvisation and composition at every grade level. Improvisation requires spontaneity and improves creative thinking skills. Composition exercises challenge the students to create within a set of guidelines. They learn ways to create movement and are given the opportunity to collaborate with their peers on the movements within the piece. My favorite quote speaks to the outcome of why I teach composition exercises... "When there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved." -Mattie Stepanek

My name is Joselyn Garcia. I was born and raised in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. I moved to the U.S when I was 16 years old. I graduated with a double major in Spanish and Latin American Studies from UNC Charlotte. I recently received my masters in Foreign-Language education from UNC Charlotte as well. I love my native language and I am very happy that other people want to learn it and know more about the Hispanic culture. I enjoy learning about different cultures, languages, and food from different parts of the world. I am very excited to be part of the Pine Lake family!!!

I am married to Tim. We have 2 children and 1 grandson (Nathan, Bria, Nathan Jr. ) Family is the most import thing in our lives. I always knew one day I would work with animals or children. With the love and support of my family I have been blessed with the opportunity to do both. My husband and I have worked with several rescues and foster many different types of animals and reptiles. When I decided to leave the banking industry and become an EC Teacher Associate the support given to me was amazing. I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful family. One thing I learned working with EC children is that all children can learn; some just learn in a different way.

My name is Anna Gordon and I am starting my second year at PLP. I have been teaching special education for 16 years. My husband Matt and I have three daughters, Madelyn, Alivia and Caroline. We love watching our girls do all the things they enjoy like playing softball, riding horses and playing soccer. I look forward to getting to know more students and families this year at Pine Lake.

I grew up in Louisville KY, with one sister and two older brothers. I played baseball at Murray State University where I studied Exercise Science. Currently living in Troutman NC with my wife, Abby, and our 4 boys. Family is always first for me as we enjoy the outdoors and traveling.