Elizabeth Evans, PhD, BCC (she/her)

As a scientist, educator, musician, and runner, I am no stranger to the value of hard work, collaboration, goal-setting, patience, grit, a growth mindset, effective communication, and resilience, I have a MA in Exercise & Sport Science and a PhD in Human Movement Science from UNC-Chapel Hill, I received my coach training from the Institute for Life Coach Training, and I hold the Board Certified Coach (BCC) credential from the Center for Credentialing and Education. I was a faculty member at Elon University for 10 years where I taught health sciences coursework, conducted research on physiological responses to aerobic exercise in people with a history of cancer, and chaired my department’s Curriculum Committee. In 2023, I made the decision to take a leave of absence from my tenured faculty position in order to devote more time to my family and to discern the direction of my professional and personal life. In 2024, I officially resigned my position in order to fully devote myself to my family, homeschool my younger daughter, and coach.  

As a coach, I specialize in professional development coaching for aspiring and current educators of all types. In my spare time, I enjoy running, baking, reading, and spending time with my spouse of over 20 years, our two daughters, and our pets.

Melissa Merres, MA, ACC (she/her)

I became a certified professional coach after building a rigorous foundation in teaching and supporting scholars of all ages.  In addition to teaching secondary school as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer (Vanuatu), I created literacy curricula for primary school teachers and served undergraduate students in the U.S. as an academic counselor. My experience in the classroom (and the choir room, the track, and on the stage) informs my ability to support each of my students as a dynamic person who is whole, competent, creative, and resourceful. My friends and family describe me as one of the most organized people they know: a skill I can coach as well as model.

I hold a B.A. from Amherst College in Music Composition, an M.A. from American University in Conflict Resolution, and an M.A. from the University of California-Irvine in Cultural Anthropology. I am an Associate Certified Coach credentialed by the International Coaching Federation. After seven years running my own business as a life coach, I have served as an academic coach on staff at the Carolina Friends School for three years. When not coaching I enjoy reading fiction, running, playing around on instruments, and driving my kids to every soccer game in a 20 mile radius.