Bridging Virtual and Real-World Connections: Meet CM Prep’s New Community Engagement Coordinator

At Coast to Mountains Preparatory Academy (CM Prep), fostering connections and building a strong community are essential pillars of the school’s mission. This fall, CM Prep welcomed Nancy Friend as their new community engagement coordinator, a role designed to enrich the experiences of students and families across North Carolina. With over 30 years of experience in education and a passion for connecting people, Nancy is already making a meaningful impact.

Nancy, a retired K-5 educator with expertise in reading intervention and small-group tutoring, joined CM Prep with a vision of bridging the virtual classroom and in-person community activities. She explains, “The families wanted more interaction, and my role is to make that happen. Virtual school doesn’t mean socialization has to stop.”

One of Nancy’s first initiatives is an event planned for December 15 at the Raleigh Museum, featuring hot chocolate, crafts, and storytime with local authors. Nancy emphasized the importance of making events like these accessible and family-friendly, saying, “It’s free and open to the entire family, not just CM Prep students. It’s about creating connections between classmates who might only know each other from their online classes.”

Nancy’s approach to community building is as diverse as the North Carolina regions CM Prep serves. She has already begun organizing in-person tutoring sessions, often traveling to meet families halfway to ease logistical challenges. “Sometimes, it’s about meeting families where they are, literally,” Nancy shares. One memorable session involved helping a mother with three CM Prep students manage their studies. “Seeing her relief and the kids’ responsiveness to face-to-face support was a powerful reminder of why this role is needed.”

Her efforts are already yielding results. Families are responding enthusiastically, with over 40 RSVPs for the upcoming museum event. One young student’s simple reply of “Yay!” encapsulated the excitement for these opportunities to connect.

Nancy’s belief in virtual education and school choice is deeply personal. She highlights how CM Prep provides a flexible and supportive environment for students who thrive outside the traditional classroom. “For some kids, virtual school just works. It offers the kind of differentiation and creativity that meets students where they are,” she explains.

Looking ahead, Nancy envisions her role expanding to connect more families with resources like the North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship and fostering deeper ties within the CM Prep community. Whether organizing meetups at the beach or attending literacy conferences to spread the word about the school, Nancy is committed to making CM Prep a vibrant, inclusive community.

Her arrival marks a new chapter for CM Prep, showing how virtual education can blend the best of online learning with meaningful, real-world connections. As Nancy puts it, “Just because they’re in virtual school doesn’t mean they’re not social. They want to meet other kids and be part of something bigger—and I’m here to make that happen.”

Stay tuned for updates on CM Prep’s community events and see how Nancy’s vision continues to bring families together, one connection at a time.