Biography coming shortly.

Judith was born in Germany to German parents, but grew up among tribal communities in Nepal and Papua New Guinea. Her interest in creating art began at a very early age and is profoundly influenced by her multicultural upbringing. After attending Art College in Germany she moved to the US to continue her studies in art and psychology. Judith works as an artist and teacher with special interest in global women’s issues, multiculturalism, and anthropology. She has taught in many places around the world and is excited to explore and expand her teaching repertoire as the lead teacher at Roots. Judith brings a rich life tapestry to Roots and we are thrilled to have her on our team! 

Eric was born and raised in Durham, NC and was always curious about how things were made and why they worked. He loved to be outdoors and didn’t have a desire to hit the books to find answers to his questions. As a jet engine mechanic in the Marines, he realized that if he could understand the concept of how something worked through experience, the math and science languages made more sense and suddenly did not seem so far out of reach.

Eric has a degree in mechanical engineeering and work experience testing, designing, and managing electromechanical products. Over the years, and through various mentoring and teaching opportunities in his job, in the Marines, and as an Eagle Scout, Eric realized his true passion is helping to create that “ah-ha” moment for others - when something formerly wondrous and mysterious suddenly makes sense. These skills and passion are what led to the creation of Outdoor STEM Adventures (OSA).

Outdoor STEM Adventures provides the same type of experiences that Eric had in the Marine Corps and in scouting - adventures in which the whole body participates in learning. We go outdoors because every kid has access to the engineering lab we call nature. We focus on STEM because no matter what you want to be when you grow up, understanding how to solve problems, challenge your assumptions, and see wonder in everyday activities is a game changer. Eric’s skills in bringing fun, curiosity, and enrichment to the world of Nature and STEM make him an incredible addition to the Roots Team.

Rebecca Drake-Pelli was first introduced to meditation as a child and to yoga during high school. This initiated her deep curiosity and life-long exploration into the practices of self-inquiry through movement, stillness, and breath. Rebecca began teaching yoga in 2000, and continues to teach locally and across the U.S. in studios, classrooms, and for corporate events.

As a somatic based movement artist and teacher, Rebecca is deeply invested in creating and shaping spaces for people to experience, investigate, and respond to themselves and their experience of life through the mind-body movement portal. She draws on her training in modern dance, improvisation, and axis syllabus universal motion principles to create a space where children can explore their intrinsic desire to move. Rebecca’s classes are kind and supportive, challenging in unexpected ways, and inspired by her appreciation of community, relationships, nature, and art. She is passionate and excited to witness children finding comfort in their bodies and in expressing themselves through movement.

Rebecca is a homeschool mom who lives with her husband and twin boys outside of Chapel Hill. Along with teaching creative movement and yoga, she is a Functional Nutritional Therapist and mindfulness teacher.

Gabriel Pelli is a lifelong musician whose interests span across genres, from jazz to old-time; rock and roll to classical. He has played with groups such as Squirrel Nut Zippers, Onyx Club Boys, The Old Ceremony, and Grand Shores, which have taken him across the U.S. and the world. 

Gabe lives outside Chapel Hill with his wife and twin boys. He brings music enrichment to Roots with passion and joy.

Mary Julia Walker is the family herbalist of Wild Garden Farms. She lives and teaches by the motto “Eat your medicine!”. Whether it’s harvested holy basil from the garden to make pesto or foraged wild roses from the countryside for infused honey, the intersection of medicinal herbs and the wisdom of ancestral eating is what she preaches and what makes her sing. As a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach, she is always teaching to the whole person, from food to movement to relationships to life experiences, for vitality and wellbeing.

Roni was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and moved to Allentown when she was five years old. As a child she enjoyed acting, and she would listen to Broadway musical albums and act out the songs with using her family as her audience.

She graduated college with a degree in speech pathology and audiology with minors in theater and psychology from Long Island University. She worked as a speech therapist in a private institution, the Haven School in Miami, Florida, working with nonverbal residence and her program was chosen to be part of a published book, “language intervention systems”, a catalog of original structured language programs in use in the US.

She got married in 1977 to Kenneth Peterson, and Emmy award winning Director of Photography and started her career in film and video productions. She and her husband owned a post-production facility in Miami but sold it when they moved their family of two sons to Chapel Hill, North Carolina in 1993 after the devastation caused by hurricane Andrew, damaged their home.

They started their own production company, “Silverlight Productions”, producing corporate image films, commercials, and short films for the government.

Roni began teaching at a private school in Durham in 2011 and continued to teach dramatic arts for 13 years at that school. While there, she developed a dramatic arts curriculum that focused on a place for students to explore their true authenticity, and to build self-esteem.

She is very excited to be part of the Roots family teaching her dramatic arts curriculum.

I am Shanella Edwards, a professionally trained chef, future dietitian, and Georgia peach!

I received my bachelors degree in food and nutrition from Meredith College and a culinary degree from the art institute of Atlanta. I love bringing cultural food traditions and nutrition together I have two wonderful kids and an active dog.