Donna Siegle
ceo / head of academics
Donna Siegle is the Executive Coordinator of SOAR. She graduated from East Carolina University where she received her Bachelor’s degree in Special Education. Her NC Teaching License includes certifications in Special Education K-12, Reading K-12, and Regular Education K-6. She is a certified Dyslexia Practitioner through the Dyslexia Training Institute. She has been a teacher for 25 years and has experience teaching in public schools, PRTFs (Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility), and one-on-one tutoring in the states of North & South Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama.
Donna is passionate about teaching students with learning disabilities and has extensive training in working with children who have behavioral and emotional needs. She was diagnosed with dyslexia in her early 20s, after struggling in school from elementary school through college. Her own experiences as a learner with dyslexia gives her insight and a special ability to work with students who are frustrated with traditional instructional methods.
When not teaching, Donna enjoys being with her family, friends and dogs, photography, and collecting sea glass from beaches around the country.
Samantha Lisic
Human Resources / Creative Director
Samantha earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, and spent 10 years teaching in the classroom with grades K-5. As a person who has always loved all things creative, she grew to explore different avenues of that creativity and fell in love with social media management and event coordinating. Samantha spent several years with a party planning business and blog, and she has created an Instagram following for her love of planners! She has a passion for children and helping them learn and is excited to join the team in a creative way!
Samantha came to the SOAR team in 2024 to run the creative side of the business and assist with marketing. From website design to social media management to event planning, if you have a creative need, she’s got you covered! She also handles all of the human resources side of SOAR – from invoices to staffing to onboarding new students, Samantha will help you with whatever you need.
Outside of SOAR, Samantha still loves all things creative, and you can find her working on decorating custom cookies, making cards, writing chalkboards, or doing some sort of home improvement project! She loves to read all sorts of books, bake and try to keep her sourdough alive, and spend time with her family – especially her husband, dogs named Scout and Navy, and her many nieces and nephews.
Angela Anderson
Learning Specialist
Angela graduated from University of Central Florida in 2010 with a B.S. in Computer Science. She has been tutoring math since 2011, working with both K-12 learners and community college students. In 2022, she joined SOAR’s amazing team as a teacher and tutor. Angela currently teaches math and science and continues to support her students as an after school tutor. She is a certified Dyslexia Practitioner through the Dyslexia Training Institute.
When she’s not teaching at SOAR, she is usually working out or gardening.
Hillary Dunn
Learning Specialist
Hillary graduated from Earlham College with a B.A. in Sociology and Anthropology in 1993. She has a background in non-profit work, living and working in rural Oaxaca, Mexico before settling down to raise a family.
When her daughter was diagnosed as dyslexic, Hillary trained to tutor underprivileged children through the Augustine Project (now Read WS), and later became a Reading Interventionist with the WSFC school system. She has been trained in teaching English as a second language (TESOL) as well as Reading Research to Classroom Practice. She trained as an Orton Gillingham instructor under Henri Brown and Ron Yoshimoto.
Hillary currently teaches English Language Arts, and loves working with our students!
Amy Manzulich
Learning Specialist
Amy joined SOAR Academy with a strong background in non-traditional education and a passion for supporting diverse learners. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Integrated Professional Studies and has been teaching in homeschool co-ops since 2016. In 2023, she co-founded Triad Learning Community, a thriving homeschool co-op that now serves over 100 students, many with learning differences. As both she and her daughter have auditory processing disorder, Amy brings personal insight into how alternative learning environments can make a transformative difference. She is currently pursuing certification in Orton-Gillingham to further deepen her expertise in structured literacy instruction.
Outside the classroom, Amy loves adventuring with her four children. Whether they’re camping, gardening, playing a spirited game of Pitch, or swapping favorite songs, her family is always finding ways to connect and explore together. Their home – shared with two dogs, a cat, and a porch full of blooming hydrangeas – is full of laughter, life, and learning.
Amy is currently in the process of obtaining further training and certification through the Dyslexia Training Institute.
