Insight Faculty
Susan Haws | Executive Director
After graduating from Davidson College, Susan (she/her) started her career as a Teach for America Corps Member and middle school teacher in Donna, Texas in 1993. She went on to teach English and ESL in New Orleans, LA, and Wake County, NC, where she also coached track and cross country. After observing first hand the persistent and complex barriers to well-being that her students faced, Susan found her way to the discipline of public health. Susan earned a Master of Public Health degree and a PhD in Health Behavior and Health Education from the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. She is an adjunct faculty member in the School of Public Health, where she has taught graduate courses on research methods and program evaluation. Her research has focused on health-promoting schools, teacher professional development, prevention of adolescent health risk behaviors, and youth mentoring. Susan founded Insight in 2018. She became a District C Certified Coach in 2020 and earned certifications in Wayfinding Mentorship and Human-Centered Design for Coaches with One Stone/ Idea 51 in 2021-22.
Contact: susan (at) insightcolearning (dot) org
Kevin Georgas | Director of Curriculum & Instruction; Humanities Instructor
Kevin (he/him) grew up in Texas, attending Baylor University, where he received a B.A. in Great Texts. After graduating, he spent two years teaching at Live Oak Classical School in Waco, Texas. He discovered there that education would always be part of his vocation, but he also found himself wanting to explore further the intersections between study and praxis. He moved to North Carolina to pursue an M.Div from Duke Divinity School, which he's since used to foster communities of care and social action. All the while, he's maintained a steady writing practice, taking fiction workshops with writers like Melissa Pritchard and Garth Greenwell. His interests are eclectic, but mostly lie at the intersection of art, politics, and religion, though he's just as happy to discuss baseball and the many glorious traditions of barbeque. Kevin is married to his wife, Caitlin. They have two kids, Agnes and James, and two cats, Stella and Iggy.
Contact: kevin (dot) georgas (at) insightcolearning (dot) org
Current Courses: Humanities Immersing; Mapping; Advanced Seminar
Brittany Del Rosario | Community Manager
Brittany (she/they) is a former educator and full-time anti-racist activist committed to centering and liberating the most marginalized among us. As a proud Latinx individual, she believes in the power of community, education, and advocacy to drive meaningful change.
They hold a B.A. in English Literature with a Minor in Theatre from Chaminade University of Honolulu Hawaii and earned an M.A. in Teaching Secondary English from Duke University. Brittany spent eight years teaching high school English in Durham Public Schools before transitioning to nonprofit work. For the past 3.5 years, she has served as the Children and Families Program Coordinator with we are, a Durham-based nonprofit dedicated to anti-racism training for children, families, and educators. They also, currently, work as an Early Childhood Community Facilitator for EmbraceRace, a national nonprofit that supports caregivers and educators in raising children who are thoughtful, informed, and brave about race.
When they're not advocating for equity and justice, Brittany enjoys reading, playing video games, and practicing yoga. She lives in Durham with her husband and two children.
Contact: brittany (dot) delrosario (at) insightcolearning (dot) org
Randy Benson | Film Instructor
Randy (he/ him) tells stories through film. My own story begins when I was born in the former West Germany where my father was an Air Force fighter pilot. As a military brat, I was fortunate as I moved around that I got to meet interesting people of varied backgrounds. Listening to the stories that others have to share, and embracing what we have in common - that's what drives my love of storytelling.
I attended Wake Forest on a track scholarship, traveled abroad, and upon returning to the US found myself unhappy in a corporate job. I've always loved movies and dabbled in filmmaking so I took a leap of faith. I quit the job to pursue filmmaking at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts' School of Filmmaking. That's where I made my documentary short, Man and Dog. I was honored to win the 1999 Student Academy Award and be recognized internationally at the Cannes International Film Festival, the International Documentary Filmfestival Amsterdam, and numerous other festivals and competitions.
Since then, I've been fortunate to build a life and career as a full-time working filmmaker and educator. I've taught film and video at Duke University's Center for Documentary Studies for almost twenty years and now teach at Davidson College. When I’m not making films, I’m watching them. In the rest of my spare time, I cycle, swim, and relax by the fire pit with my wife, two kids, and dogs.
Filmmaking is storytelling. I love what we're creating here at Insight, where every student has their own story to tell.
Contact: randy.benson (at) insightcolearning (dot) org
Current Course: The Techniques of Filmmaking
Luce Bergwall | Math & Experiential Instructor
Luce (they/them) grew up in New Hampshire and moved to Durham in 2016. They earned a B.A. in Environmental Studies at Williams College and later a Masters in Teaching (MAT) at UNC Chapel Hill. Since moving to Durham, Luce has worked in a variety of educational settings, ranging from traditional public school classrooms to a college semester program sailing on the Atlantic Ocean. Luce trained in Special Education in their MAT program and has specialized in teaching math to students with neurological and learning differences. They enjoy learning how students think about math and building experiences around their strengths and interests. In addition to teaching, Luce has been a dedicated public school advocate and union member while working in the public school system. Luce believes deeply in the power of democratic organizing and has participated in campaigns at the local district level and state electoral level. In their free time, Luce loves to read, ride bikes (including to and from Insight!), cook, and spend time with their partner and friends.
Contact: luce (dot) bergwall (at) insightcolearning (dot) org
Current Courses: Quantway, Math 3; Pre Calculus; Skills with Bill (Experiential Mapping)
Gabriel (Gabe) Bierwirth | Spanish Instructor
Gabriel (he/him) grew up in Central Texas, where he developed a lifelong love for art, film, theatre, animals, and nature. In high school, he discovered his passion for languages thanks to a family friend who spoke Indonesian. Inspired, he began teaching himself Indonesian while studying Spanish in school and Korean at a local Korean church.
After graduating, Gabriel spent a year living in Indonesia, where he taught English and deepened his appreciation for language and culture. He later earned a degree in Linguistics and Spanish, with a minor in Mandarin Chinese. Over the years, he has studied many other languages, including Javanese, Arabic, French, and Georgian. He is currently learning Nahuatl, an Indigenous language of central Mexico, where he now lives.
Alongside teaching English and Spanish online, Gabriel enjoys hiking, baking, cooking, traveling, mindfulness and rock climbing. He is in the early stages of launching two small businesses: baking and selling sourdough bread from his home in Mexico City, and leading guided hiking tours in the nearby mountains.
Ultimately, Gabriel dreams of buying land in a rural area where he can live self-sufficiently and close to nature. For now, he’s enjoying life in the big city.
Contact: gabe (dot) bierwirth (at) insightcolearning (dot) org
Current Courses: Spanish II and Spanish III
Billy Dee | Art & Experiential Instructor
Billy Dee (they/them) is a Durham-based artist and educator whose art practice and teaching methods are deeply informed by their connection to community organizing and movement building work. They studied community-based and political theatre (with a focus on puppetry) at Concordia University (Montreal, Canada) and over the years have created illustrations, posters, comic books, zines, and popular education materials in collaboration with numerous community organizations and journalists. They have also worked extensively as a teaching artist and artist mentor with organizations including Student U and the Durham Arts Guild. Billy completed an MFA (Fine Arts) at UNCG during which time they created a series of quilts which explored their own family history in tandem with the role of quilts in abolition movements. Billy currently teaches at Elon University and UNCG as an adjunct professor of art where they teach introductory art and design courses, and specialized courses on comics and textile arts. Billy loves to collaborate and is deeply passionate about the transformative power of art.
Contact: billy (dot) dee (at) insightcolearning (dot) org
Current Courses: Skills with Bill (Experiential Mapping); Visual Art
Banks Dixon | Outdoor Adventure Instructor
Banks (he/him) has worked as an outdoor guide, instructor, and environmentalist since the late 80’s, directing adventures at Camp Frederick in OH, facilitating team-building workshops through low and high ropes courses and river trips, and serving as Stewardship Coordinator for the Triangle Land Conservancy. He is an Eagle Scout, a trained American Canoe Association (ACA) Kayak Instructor, and a Wilderness First Responder (WFR). His personal travels include thru-hiking the AT, climbing Mt. Rainier, traversing the Baja, trekking the Annapurnas in Nepal, and kayaking the Grand Canyon. Banks owns and operates Frog Hollow Outdoors, where he works with people of all ages to gain a greater respect and understanding of themselves, others, and their environment through outdoor adventure activities.
Check out Frog Hollow’s website: https://www.froghollowoutdoors.com/
Contact: banks (dot) dixon (at) insightcolearning (dot) org
Current Courses: Insight Outside;; Advanced Outdoor Adventure
Antonia Fairchild | Theater Instructor
Antonia Fairchild (she/ her) is a director, educator, performer and producer. She has taught and directed at universities and high schools in San Francisco, North Carolina and Georgia. Her career started in television news in the San Francisco Bay Area and led her, after graduate school, to New York City to produce world-premiere theatrical productions and develop new work with playwrights. Her collaboration with theatre director Adrian Giurgea, an original American adaptation of the 1900 French novel Diary of a Chambermaid, was named one of the best productions of the year by Backstage. She produced educational media for Duke University’s TIP program and continues to work with the Sanford School of Public Policy undergraduate students on the intersection of policy, data and storytelling in the Student Voting Rights Lab. As a performer, she has professionally voiced Duke TIP's award-winning educational products for high school students and performed regionally throughout the country. She holds a BS in Radio/TV/Film from Northwestern University and an MFA in Acting from the American Conservatory Theater. Digital, educational and theatrical projects available at her website and YouTube channel.
Contact: antonia (dot) fairchild (at) insightcolearning (dot) org
Current Courses: Acting I
Tabitha Fairchild| Humanities & Elective Instructor
Tabi Fairchild (she/her) is a sociologist who brings a deep passion for digital culture into the humanities classroom. With advanced degrees from Virginia Commonwealth University, she has explored the intricate connections between race, society, and the digital world, focusing on how internet memes reflect and shape cultural narratives. Tabitha has shared her research at various academic conferences and has taught sociology at John Tyler Community College, where she inspires students to think critically about the intersections of culture and society.
Outside of her academic work, Tabitha is a proud mom to a recent high school graduate. In her downtime, you’ll find her immersed in video games, sewing, crocheting, or losing herself in a good book. With a cat, a dog, and a group of nephews and a niece she adores, Tabitha balances her love for digital and creative pursuits with her vibrant family life. Her enthusiasm for exploring the complexities of culture—both online and offline—brings a unique energy to the humanities.
Contact: tabitha (dot) fairchild (at) insightcolearning (dot) org
Current Course: Pop Culture, Humanities
Mana Reshamwala | Japanese Instructor
Mana (she/ her) was born and raised in Kumamoto, Japan, and has lived with her multicultural family in Durham since 2010. In addition to outside texts, she incorporates her own experience learning to communicate in new languages on the ground in Spain, England and the US. She values helping students learn skills to adjust rapidly to new cultures and learn to get by in places that are new to them. She is especially interested in bringing real-world materials and contact with Japanese speakers into the classroom, whether through movies, books, in-person guests or zoom calls linking students to speakers in other countries. When not teaching Japanese, she enjoys traveling, crafting and spending time at the nearby Scrap Exchange.
Contact: mana.reshamwala (at) insightcolearning (dot) org
Current Courses: Japanese I and Japanese II
Jen Wichman | Academic Success Coach
Jen (she/her) is passionate about helping students learn how they learn. She loves helping young people develop unique, effective, engaging strategies for approaching their work in school and beyond.
Jen has a Master of Education from Harvard University and brings over 35 years of professional educational experience to Insight. She is also an acclaimed author, editor, artist, and social justice worker. Jen loves to laugh, dance, practice yoga, build furniture, paint, read, roller-skate, collaborate, daydream, and eat cookie dough. There are lots of flowers and a Little Free Library in her front yard.
Contact: jen (dot) wichman (at) insightcolearning (dot) org
Carson Wohlers | Science & Outdoor Instructor
Carson (they/them) is from Western New York, and brings a love of the outdoors and a passion for exploration wherever they go. They are a graduate of Paul Smith’s College, receiving a degree in Environmental Sciences while running on the Cross Country & Snowshoe team. Carson has also been fortunate to travel the world for scientific pursuits, studying sustainable tourism in Iceland, community forest management in Nepal, and most recently UNESCO’s biosphere reserve system in South Africa. Domestically, Carson has worked most with Scouting America, at Philmont Scout Ranch for a summer, and with Maine High Adventure for the past 2 summers. In their free time, Carson enjoys running, mountain biking, making music, and playing rugby.
Contact: carson (dot) wohlers (at) insightcolearning (dot) org
Current Courses: Science- Immersing; Science- Mapping; Insight Outside