Staff Spotlight: Dawn Russell

Dawn Russell is enjoying her seventh year working at Wake Christian Academy. Her two children started here nine years ago — now her younger son, Gavin, is a sophomore, and her older son, Trey, graduated in 2015. Placing her sons in school here led Dawn to volunteer at Wake Christian’s annual auction, and events snowballed from there.

“I was hired as Development Associate, in charge of fundraising and events,” recounted Russell, “And was promoted to Development Coordinator, which added branding, marketing, the website, and social media to my list of responsibilities.”

Most recently, Dawn was named Director of School Advancement and now oversees communications, alumni, and admissions.

Prior to joining Wake Christian Academy, Dawn was the director of the preschool run by Sunrise United Methodist Church, where she and her family attend. She also has extensive corporate experience in Human Resources, Facilities, and Purchasing. Dawn received her bachelor’s in Elementary Education from the University of North Carolina Wilmington, and holds a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Duke University.

“I love working here because I can come to school each day with my kids, but I also love that my job is never boring!” she stated, “No two days are ever the same. I love the relationships I’ve built with the staff, parents, grandparents, alumni, and the community. I want everyone to know this is a great school.”

Dawn and her husband, Jay, toured Wake Christian Academy before Trey started kindergarten, but decided he would be fine in public school.

“When Trey got to the fourth grade, we knew public school was no longer an option for our family, so we came back for another tour,” she said. “We applied immediately, but were placed on the waiting list for fifth grade. We knew if this was the place he was meant to be, we would make it in. The wonderful call from Mrs. Sauls came about two weeks before school started. The differences between the two schools were astounding, and Trey received so much more here than he had in the past.”

She continued, “If a parent is considering WCA for their child, I would say that this school takes care of my kids. They not only teach them academics, but they train them to be wonderful young men that will change the world!”