Tiffany Bowers
Tiffany Bowers graduated from North Carolina Agricultural and Technology State University in Greensboro, NC with a degree in Early Childhood Education and Family Studies. She began teaching right away as a pre-kindergarten teacher in Charlotte, NC and during her tenure she was “Teacher of the Year”, Mentor teacher, Grade level chair, Clinical Instructor for students studying Birth through Kindergarten at UNC-Charlotte, Chairperson of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS-R) at her school for many years. Tiffany also began her master’s degree program in Reading Education at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC. After completing her master’s degree, she became a Literacy Coach for the NCPre-k program in Charlotte, NC.
Tiffany directed and led multiple literacy workshops to support teachers and held focused education study groups. Tiffany enjoyed working with other teachers and directors of childcare centers. She modeled lessons for teachers and observed their lessons along with researching different strategies to support her teachers and their students. Tiffany also taught kindergarten for several years.
She loved her time as a kindergarten teacher and before long she became a proud mom of triplet boys. She spent a few more years in kindergarten before deciding to be a stay-at-home mom and homeschool her children.
Tiffany’s hobbies include decorating and spending time with family and friends.
Dr. Linda Cruz
Dr. Linda Cruz has over 30 years of experience in early childhood through primary education. She served in the US Army for three years and launched a lifelong career in early childhood through primary and secondary education. Earlier in her career, the United States Army hired her to conduct research where she wrote a grant, and built a teen learning center in Ansbach, Germany, designed to keep military children off the streets. Through this venture she would move on to write a plethora of grants, established, and built multiple youth and Early Childhood learning facilities. She has also written a myriad of curriculums designed for Early Childhood through primary education, and trained hundreds of teachers.
She earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Masters in Family and Consumer Science from New Mexico State University. She also obtained a second Master of Science in Counseling and a doctorate in Instructional Leadership K-12. She was a certified schoolteacher where she taught Early Childhood Education at Providence High School in Charlotte, North Carolina for over 10 years.
In 2005, she established Learning for Living G.E.M.S. Academy (Growth, Emotional, Mental and Social). Through this nonprofit organization, she instituted and implemented a "Life Career Development" program designed to serve adults ages twenty and over. With a goal to educate the entire family, she established an Adult Basic Education Outreach Program in four churches on the Westside of Charlotte, in partnership with Central Piedmont Community College. She also established a Christian Based Summer Camp Happy Haven FunFonics Learning Center and a Tutorial and Mentoring Program "Helping Children to Succeed" in Partnership with Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools.
Dr. Cruz is an author. She authored a book entitled “A Journey Through the Cave to the Palace”. Finally, in 2012, she wrote a grant and opened a Charter School with over 340 students in grades K-8. Her philosophy is to "Develop and educate the whole family in Excellence”. She is dedicated to educating families and improving the quality of life through partnerships, collaboration, and the gospel of Jesus Christ.
