We missed you at the HCAM Open House and Campus Tours.

HCAM is offering individual and family personalized campus tours for the families of prospective students who were not able to attend the HCAM Open House and Campus Tours held on Thursday, February 6, 2025. Time slots are available on Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning February 18 through February 25. Reserve your tour today.

Academy Directors Biographies

Culinary Arts Academy Chef Samantha McJunkin has worked in the Hospitality industry for 23 years. She is excited to share her vast knowledge and experience with HCAM Culinary students! Over the years, she has worked in fast food, casual dining, and fine dining, and opened her own restaurant. In the Culinary Pathway, students will focus on food safety, creating delicious recipes, and learning to run a business. Students also get hands-on experience by selling lunches to teachers and catering for other schools and the community!

Visual Arts Academy Instructor Aaron Vigardt is a slightly reformed English teacher who has called HCAM his home since 2019. A maker, tinker, cobbler, and DIY enthusiast, you can find him toiling in the garden or raising frogs by the hundreds. His wife April tolerates him at their home in Conover, their daughters have grown, come to their senses, and moved out.

Computer Programming Academy Instructor Cindy Brittain began her career as a math teacher before moving into Career & Technical Education and has been teaching computer science for three years. In addition to computer science, she also teaches drone technology and helps students gain real-world experience by coordinating our internship program. In the Computer Science pathway, students learn important skills like coding, problem-solving, and cybersecurity. They also explore topics like web design, data analysis, and how computers and networks work. This program is great for students who enjoy technology and want to prepare for careers in software development, IT, or engineering.

Theatre Arts Academy Instructor Mauricio Lozano has 5 years of experience in theatre, film, and television industries as an actor, director, writer, and composer. His work spans projects with the One Love Foundation, NBC, New York City Center, New York Repertory Theatre, Kansas University, Pace University, Davidson College, and Broadway. In the Theatre Arts pathway, students learn all aspects of production and performance, and most importantly— cultivate their voices as storytellers.

Health Sciences Instructor Paige Walker is in her fifth year teaching at HCAM. She has a degree in Emergency Medicine and an NC Paramedic certification. She is one of two Health Science teachers at HCAM. She teaches Health Science I & II, Public Safety I, EMT I & II, and Ph*rm*cy Technician. Outside of school, she enjoys spending time with her family, which most importantly includes her three children. and

Health Sciences Instructor Ciji Woodward is one of HCAM’s two health science teachers. She teaches Health Science II and Nursing Fundamentals. She has been a nurse for almost 20 years and has worked in various backgrounds ranging from the emergency room to labor and delivery and a lot more. She loves sharing her knowledge of nursing with HCAM’s future healthcare workers. She has a Bachelor in Science from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and is also a certified nurse in Electronic Fetal Monitoring. She is a certified BLS instructor through the American Heart Association.

When she is not teaching, she loves traveling and spending time with her husband, Seth, and their two boys Chase(10) and Caeleb(8). She a huge Tarheels and Panthers fan and loves watching football and basketball. She is also very active in her church. She sings in the adult choir and teaches Kids for Truth which helps the younger kids learn about Jesus and learn bible and memory verses. She 5 pets - a dog named Dorra who is 14, a cat named Kuechly who is 12, a dog named Sabine, and 2 leopard Geckos named Charlotte and Roxy.

Graphic Arts and Photography Academy Instructor Curtis Morrison is passionate about helping students develop their creativity and technical skills in visual media.

He teaches Graphic Design using Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign, as well as Video Design with Adobe Premiere Pro. His students gain hands-on experience through client-based projects, allowing them to build real-world skills.

He also teaches college-level courses in Graphic Design, Typography, Photography, and Studio Lighting, providing students with a strong foundation in these fields.

Beyond the classroom, he has been a photographer and videographer for 10 years and has taught for five years. He also mentors HCAM’s brand-new robotics team, helping students explore design and engineering.

Criminal Justice Academy Instructor Francis Morris is a native of western North Carolina and holds an Associate of Applied Science degree and a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. Frances was employed by the Asheville Police Department in 2001 as a Crime Scene Technician and was responsible for processing crime scenes ranging from property to violent crimes against a person. Frances was assigned to manage the lab for 6 years, including latent processing and comparisons and facilitating evidence submissions to the State Crime Lab and to the F.B.I. for complex analysis. In 2008 Frances began assisting with the Cold Case Unit and was responsible for reviewing and processing evidence from cold case homicides and submissions for new analysis. Frances is a member of the International Association for Identification and holds her Basic Crime Scene Certificate from the IAI. She is also a member of the International Association for Bloodstain Pattern Analysts, and the Association for Crime Scene Reconstruction and has over 800 hours of training in various forensic disciplines. During her tenure, Frances received eight awards for outstanding performance including an Excellence in Public Service award from the City of Asheville.

Questions? Contact Corie Schreiber, HCAM Data Manager, 828-328-6738, ext. 201 or [email protected].

Please notify us if you need special accommodations 24 hours before your tour.

Host or Publisher Melanie Zimmermann, HCAM Technology Facilitator