Our Team
Quality care for your child
Holly Ridge Quality Childcare & Preschool is honored to have one of the most exceptional teams in the industry. Each teacher goes through comprehensive training, enrolls in higher education to obtain their ECE Credentials or higher and work collaboratively with their fellow coworkers to ensure we are providing a safe and engaging learning environment for all students.
Shannon Pope
Owner and Director
Ms. Shannon Pope has worked as a teacher and administrator in the fields of elementary and early education since 2009. She taught elementary school students and coached fellow educators in Baltimore County Public Schools prior to moving to North Carolina. Ms. Shannon spoke and presented to thousands of fellow education professionals at conferences throughout the state of Maryland from 2012 to 2018. Originally from Long Island, New York, Shannon has always had a passion for educating and caring for children. After completing her two Master's Degrees in Maryland, Shannon continued her education to receive her Level III Administrator Credentials and Early Childhood Educator Certification for North Carolina. After working with the Murphy family to open two other preschool and childcare centers in the area, Shannon is proud to provide another quality ECE program to the Holly Ridge and surrounding communities.
Joyce Murphy
Owner and Office Staff
Ms. Joyce Murphy has been in the childcare business for over thirty years. She brings a tremendous knowledgebase to the SFQCC and HRQCC family. Ms. Joyce originally began with her own in-home centers while residing on Long Island, New York with her family. Ms. Joyce built her Long Island childcare centers from the ground up and was the driving force behind the new ownership of SFQCC, SFQCC II and now, Holly Ridge Quality Childcare & Preschool.
Barbie Alligood
Administration and School-age Program Coordinator
Possessing a contagious enthusiasm, Ms. Barbie Alligood has been an amazing asset for SFQCC, SFQCC II and Holly Ridge Quality Childcare & Preschool. Her warmth, creativity and drive makes her a great colleague and a perfect fit as our School-age Program Coordinator.
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Ms. Barbie has worked with the SFQCC family for over ten years. She continues to be committed to strive for excellence in all avenues. Ms. Barbie is currently working towards obtaining her Administrator Credentials and furthering her career as an ECE Administrator.
Kim Ray
Preschool Teacher
Samantha Gurganus
Assistant NC Pre-K Teacher
Originally a teacher at our Sneads Ferry location, Ms. Samantha has worked with mainly preschool aged students in a variety of classroom settings. This previous experience as a preschool teacher, combined with her unwavering patience and thoughtfulness when working on the individual learning goals of each student, create a quality learning environment for the preschoolers in her care. Ms. Samantha continues to add to her degrees by taking additional coursework in Early Childhood Education. We are thankful Ms. Samantha chose to work at HRQCC!
Whittany Smith
Preschool Co-Teacher
Ms. Whittany loves working with children of all ages and thrives in the early childhood environment. She brings a strong understanding of childhood development from her previous preschool teaching experiences. Ms. Whittany shows compassion, care and consideration for each child's individual social, emotional and academic needs. As one of our preschool teachers and school-age group leaders, Ms. Whittany values communication and in turn, develops strong relationships with the families of students of all ages at HRQCC. By making students feel at home and comfortable in their learning environment, she is able to help each student grow academically, socially, and emotionally. We are so glad Ms. Whittany is a part of the HRQCC team!
Meet the Team
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