PreK4 Classroom Teachers
Bridget Mason-Gray - Lead Teacher
Bridget holds a staggering 3 degrees: Interior Design, Birth through Kindergarten Non-Teaching Licensure, and a Birth through Kindergarten Teaching Licensure. She’s also not a stranger to our Early Learning Center. Her mother helped start the ELC back in 1997, and she spent countless hours volunteering here as a child.
However, working in education was not a part of her personal plan. It wasn’t until she underwent a hospitalization for sudden heart failure in 2018 that she felt convicted by God to do something beyond herself and sought out a job at our Early Learning Center.
Bridget knows God kept her on this earth for a reason, and while she may not always know all the details, she knows God has called her to be here at Refuge to help do his work through her love of education.
She and her sweet husband have a dog named Frankenstein, who needs all the love and attention she can get. She may be a little neurotic, but they love her for it.
Raquel Elizalde-Venancio - Assistant Teacher
Raquel has been teaching at Refuge Early Learning Center since 2018. She has completed her Early Childhood certificate and is working toward completing her Birth-Kindergarten teaching license as well!
Raquel's favorite thing about teaching young children is the joy of watching them grow in their physical, social, and spiritual development and seeing young minds learn to do new and exciting things.
She enjoys being a mom and taking her son on walks. You can often find them discovering new places together in the Triangle.
Samantha Padilla-Rodriguez - Assistant Teacher
Samantha joined our Refuge ELC team in February 2024. She really enjoys working with kids and learning new things. In addition to teaching at Refuge, she is currently taking real estate classes.
Samantha is very active, which is a great match for teaching young children how to use gross motor skills. Whether it is through art or activities in the gym, she is ready to help our students refine their physical abilities. Born and raised here in Raleigh, she loves being able to serve the families of this community.
While she doesn’t currently have any pets of her own, her dream pets include a tuxedo cat and a Dalmatian or Dobermann Pinscher. In her free time, she likes to work out, watch anime, go shopping, and listen to music.