Phone: 540-887-7324 — Fax: 540-887-7187 — E-mail: earlycollege@mbc.edu
Stephanie Ferguson, PhD 
Executive Director of Early College
After earning her bachelor’s degree in education from Millersville University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Ferguson (formerly Nugent) began teaching middle and high school reading and English, both in Pennsylvania and in Louisiana. Six years into her teaching career, she found a position working with gifted children grades 6–8 and got her first glimpse of Mary Baldwin’s Program for the Exceptionally Gifted. Dr. Ferguson was working on her master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Southeastern Louisiana University at the time, and she investigated PEG while she focused on gifted studies as a concentration for her degree. She completed her doctorate — with a concentration in gifted studies — at The University of Southern Mississippi. Her dissertation on moral development and self-concept among gifted residential high school students explored many of the elements present in MBC’s Program for the Exceptionally Gifted. She has done extensive research on social and emotional issues of gifted students, about which she has published a book, Social and Emotional Teaching Strategies, a textbook chapter, “Affective Education: Addressing the Social and Emotional needs of Gifted Students in the Classroom,” and several journal and newsletter articles. In her spare time, she enjoys entertaining her three cats, Neko, Joss, and Jain, writing (both for work and pleasure), reading, needlework, and riding motorcycles with her husband, Bruce.
Christy Baker
Associate Director of Early College Student Life
Christy Baker graduated from James Madison University with a BA in speech communication and minors in Spanish and English. She began working with PEG in 2000 as a Residence Life Coordinator, transitioning to Director of PEG Student Life in 2008. Christy is a member of the Administrative Processes Improvement Team at Mary Baldwin College. She also represents PEG and MBC on the Boarding Schools Social Activities Committee. One of Christy’s favorite aspects of working with PEG is collaborating with students and staff to create a varied and exciting activities calendar each month. In her spare time, Christy enjoys shopping, reading, and spending time with her husband, Mike, and their two children.
Candice Barnack
Assistant Director of Operations
Candice Barnack graduated from Mary Baldwin with a B.A. in Business Administration and a minor in Management in 2007. Prior to coming to PEG she worked as Faculty Resource Coordinator in Pearce Science Center. Candice was a Capstone participant for her Senior project on Staunton-Augusta-Waynesboro’s Habitat for Humanity for which she volunteered for many years. She is also an active volunteer with several other community organizations. When she has free time, she enjoys spending it with her husband and two children.
Margaret Bivans
Associate Director of Admissions
Margaret Bivans is a proud graduate of Mary Baldwin College where she received a BS in Biology. Originally from Rockville, MD she decided to stay in Staunton after graduation because she fell in love with the Shenandoah Valley. She began working for the college in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions in September 2010. When an opportunity opened to work with the Early College programs, Margaret was eager to get to know the families interested in the program and joined the staff soon after. She loves working through the admissions process with Early College students and hopes to pursue a Master’s degree in higher education administration. In her spare time, Margaret helps to run a restaurant with her boyfriend in Waynesboro, VA.
Cathy Boyd, Resident Advisor
Cathy, a native of Virginia and graduate of the University of Virginia, is excited to be a part of PEG and the Mary Baldwin community. After living and teaching ESL in high schools in Virginia, Maryland, and Japan, she returned to her native Charlottesville and began a career in higher education administration. To answer her calling to encourage young students to explore and learn in the great outdoors, Cathy has been pursuing a Master of Education in Environment-Based Learning through Mary Baldwin’s Graduate Teacher Education program. She looks forward to fostering a sense of self and selflessness in each PEG student, so that they can be independent, motivated, and community-minded. Cathy enjoys country roads, general stores, swimming holes, junktique shops, and twangy music, so the Shenandoah Valley seems like a great place to be!
Jamila Harris, Resident Advisor
I am a graduate of Robert E. Lee High School here in Staunton. Currently, I am in my second year at Blue Ridge College of Nursing and hope to complete my nursing degree at either James Madison University or Radford University. I am also a Military Police officer in the Virginia National Guard and enjoy being able to serve my country in this capacity. I hold a part-time job at Bath and Body Works in the Staunton Mall in addition to my Resident Staff Assistant position at PEG. I look forward to working and learning with the students in PEG this year!
Celi Oliveto, Residence Staff Assistant
Celi draws strength from the phrase, "the course of true love never did run smooth". Even though achieving your dreams can be incredibly stressful and often seem like an uphill battle, calm dedication, steady focused intent, and the love and support of friends and family will combat any bump in the road. Ultimately, Celi believes, that if the heart is in the right place, all the stress and trials will be worth the journey. That being said,Celi Oliveto is a current 2nd year MLitt student from Fairmont, West Virginia. She is thrilled to be returning to the PEG program after a fantastic first year! Celi comes from a wonderful close knit family who has been very supportive in her decision to pursue graduate studies. Celi has always been active in the theatre arts and hopes to one day be an acting/directing college professor or work for a theatre company. Celi currently holds a degree in French and a WV teaching licence in theatre arts, speech communication, and English because she doesn’t know what she want to be when she grows up. Celi can often be seen hanging out with her friends in the MLitt department and with her nose in a book… often at the same time. Welcome and I look forward in helping the incoming and returning PEGs achieve their heart’s desires through higher education.
Sharmeka Williams – Residence Staff Assistant
Sharmeka Williams is a senior graduating May 2012 at Mary Baldwin College. She will be completing her education with a Major in English and double minors in Education and Leadership Studies. Also, she will be graduating from the Virginia Women’s Institute for Leadership Program at MBC. During her time at Mary Baldwin she has committed herself to VWIL, as well as other positions such as Senate and Student Advocate in the Mary Baldwin community. Sharmeka is actively pursuing the fifth year Master’s in Teaching program offered by MBC and is eager to graduate with her Master’s in 2013.
Once school is complete, she will be committing herself to working with children, something that she has always found pleasure in doing. She often expresses her passion, “I have always wanted to teach. I view teaching and education as a way to positively affect children all over the world, and if I can change a life with that avenue, my purpose has been fulfilled. My inspiration comes from wholeheartedly believing that this is what I was born to do. My role as an educator, mentor, and trusted advisor will provide an outstanding environment for all students that will learn under my instruction” (Sharmeka Williams). She is definitely looking forward to building connections and working with all of the PEG students this year!
Lisa Wilson, Residence Staff Assistant
Lisa Wilson is a 28 year old Adult Degree Program student from Mary Baldwin’s Roanoke campus. Lisa was born in New Jersey and relocated to Virginia as a teenager. She started her academic career at the community college level while working fulltime at a law firm and later transferred to Mary Baldwin to continue her studies. When the opportunity to live on campus and experience the traditional residential student’s life was made available to Lisa, she was ecstatic. Lisa is majoring in Business for the Sustainable Future with minors in African American History and Management. Her heart is to serve the students of PEG through encouraging them to focus and stay the course for the betterment of their very bright futures. To the PEG students, she offers the following quote:
“Most successful men or women have not achieved their distinction by having some new talent or opportunity presented. [Instead], they have developed the opportunity that was at hand.” ~Bruce Barton (1886-1967)
