STEAM Team

STEAM instructor at BHT Primary School. Kandice obtained a BS in Interdisciplinary Studies in Early Childhood and Special Education from Radford University in Virginia. She has been employed with MACS since 2006. STEAM is her favorite classroom! She is passionate about challenging students to think critically, invent, imagine and explore all that STEAM encompasses. She is married to Jeff and has one son, Garrett who attends Mt Airy Middle School! Her hobbies are gardening, tending to chickens, dogs and a cat, as well as baseball. She feels she is blessed to be part of MACS!

STEAM instructor at JJ Jones Intermediate School. Claire attended The University of North Carolina Asheville as a North Carolina Teaching Fellow. She graduated magna cum laude with a degree in psychology and a K-6 teaching licensure. Prior to teaching STEAM at Jones, Claire taught fourth grade for three years and fifth grade math and science for eight years. Her husband, Dustin, is the HS Science Instructional Coach for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools. Claire and Dustin have two children, Parker and Mitchell. In addition to spending time with her family and their new puppy, her hobbies include hiking, kayaking, gardening, and traveling. Claire loves being part of Mount Airy City Schools and teaching STEAM at Jones!

Career and Technology teacher at Mount Airy Middle School. Austin attended school at Surry Community College, where he obtained his Associate in Arts. Austin is currently finishing my bachelor's degree in Career & Technical Ed (Engineer & Design) through Appalachian State. He is in charge of the First Lego team at the Middle School. He has been an assistant football and baseball coach at the high school and assisted basketball at the middle school for eight years. Hobbies include spending time with family, working out at Crossfit Ridzo, and building lego sets with my nephew Kohen. Austin excited to be a part of the STEAM program to see what students are capable of and what depths their creativity can go to involving technology.

Garrett is the Lead STEAM teacher. He teaches Project Lead the Way Introduction to Engineering, Principles of Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, and Drones I & II at Mt. Airy High school. He is also a part of the basketball coaching staff.

Garrett has a A.A. from Surry Community College, a B.S. in Building Science with a concentration in Architectural Technology and Design, a B.S. in Technology Education: Trade & Industry, a B.S. in Technology Education: Secondary Education from Appalachian State University. Garrett is certified 6-12 in Technology Education and Trade & Industry.

Outside of education, he is Married to Courtney Howlett and has two wonderful kids. He enjoys fly fishing, hunting, spending time with his family and basketball.