Main Street Moms on the Move: July 2016

By Rachel Hoeing

Our “Moms on the Move” series is one of my favorite parts of our website. We love being able to highlight amazing things going on in our community and the moms behind all of it! This week’s feature will introduce you to Cassandra, Megan, and Julie, who all have a hunger for bettering themselves and helping others. Enjoy meeting these moms below!

Cassandra Brunson

Cassandra is a SC native who has 3 daughters, Chelsea (18), Cheyenne (11), and Callie (10) with her husband, Corry. She originally worked full-time as a credit analyst, which is when she discovered that her passion in life was not being fulfilled. She enrolled in night classes at HPU and was able to earn a BS in Home Furnishing Marketing/ Interior Design, shortly after the birth of her third daughter. She was the first college graduate in her maternal family!

Longing for more knowledge and to increase leverage in her career, she enrolled in UNCG’s architectural design program. She earned a BFA, in Architectural Design in 2013. She’s held a number of roles with corporate firms, including Heritage Home Group as Lead Interior Designer, where she collaborated with today’s top 10 builders, traveling around the country to live her dream job out loud. While on assignment, Cassandra took advantage of working on the west coast, where she and a friend departed Las Vegas and drove Historic route 66 to the Carolinas!

Working for a corporate company provided many luxuries, but traveling on a weekly basis proved that facetime could not replace the touch and affection a mother needs to give and receive. Cassandra established Design+ in 2013, a sole proprietorship Design firm, and decided in January 2016 to redirect her focus and build a brand for her firm, thus allowing flexibility with her schedule and keeping her close to the family. If you are having a design dilemma, Cassandra is offering a  free 30 minute consultation! Just email cbrunson@designplus-nc.com.

Cassandra is also an active PTA board member. She has held numerous positions on the NC PTA board and has served for 3 consecutive years as the Reflections chairperson, which is a nationally acclaimed student recognition program to encourage artistic creativity.

Cassandra gives God all the honor, glory and praise! She is a Mom on the Move!

Megan Metzger

Passion is hard to come by and even harder to find in today’s workforce. This however, is not the case at Preferred ChildCare, a company owned and operated by Megan Metzger. Megan has lived in NC her entire life and began babysitting the children in her neighborhood at a young age. She knew from then that children and caring for them was her passion. This is the idea and belief that became the backbone of Preferred ChildCare.

Megan studied Business Administration and received her degree from UNCG.  While studying, Megan began facilitating a babysitting service, which was then incorporated to create Preferred Childcare, a nanny placement and guaranteed babysitting service that aims to provide the highest quality care to families in the Triad.

In her free time, Megan enjoys spending time with her three children; Hunter, Lily and Emma Grace. She loves watching Hunter play soccer on Saturdays, taking Lily to get her toes done and hear the next hilarious thing that comes from Emma; as we all know that 2-year-olds say the craziest things! Megan attributes her success at Preferred ChildCare to her wonderful family and her strong faith.

Through 14 years in business, Megan has helped hundreds of families, churches, and businesses in the Triad and her goal is to continue fulfilling her dream of eradicating childhood hunger from our area. Her passion, mission, and drive are what make Megan a true “Mom on the Move” and we cannot wait to see all that she has left to accomplish!

Julie Giljames

Twenty. It’s a number with many meanings for Julie. As she celebrates her 20th year of marriage and begins her 20th year in an English classroom, she has much to be grateful for. This local wife and mother of two boys, ages 15 and 11, stays busy with schoolwork, football and lacrosse practices, gardening, and spending time with friends and family. Her family loves to travel to her parents’ retirement home in the NC mountains and enjoy canoeing, hiking, fishing, and biking.

She celebrated her teaching career by pursuing two of her passions: service and travel. Julie recently planned and returned from her first EF trip, a service learning adventure to Peru. With a small group of alumni Summit students and families, she visited Lima, Cusco, Machu Picchu, and Puno’s Lake Titicaca, all while serving a local private kindergarten. The beauty of the Andes was only overshadowed by the young smiling faces of Yachay Wasi. Julie and her students were able to create a clean, organized space for Yachay Wasi’s teachers in place of the construction zone they had been working in. They eliminated the construction debris, built a fire pit, enclosed a garden space, and dug a trench for  overflowing water. Students also repaired fences and furniture, and recycled materials into usable items.

Julie will be able to continue to support the Peru school through her ninth graders at Summit School. With her amazing team, she helps guide students in imagining, organizing, and executing service projects as part of their LifeSCALE course. Julie says, “It’s always amazing to see students make a difference in the community, whether their own or one thousands of miles away.”

Without her supportive husband, none of these professional goals would be possible. Julie & Steve give each other the freedom to pursue their own passions. After their 20+ years together, they enjoy many laughs, whether it’s watching the Carolina Panthers, spending the day fishing, serving others, or spending a night out.

Here’s hoping her next twenty years as a wife, mother, and teacher are just as rewarding!

_________________________________________

To nominate a local mother for our Moms on the Move series, email Rachel@triadmomsonmain.com.