Town of Cary
Kirsten DeSena is an experienced performing arts educator with a well-established career in developing and managing arts education programs. Currently serving as a Performing Arts Education Specialist for the Town of Cary and Director of Theatre Education at Salem Elementary School, Kirsten enhances student learning through innovative teaching techniques and collaborative community engagement. Previous roles include Director of Education at The ArtsCenter, where financial management and program adaptation during the pandemic were key achievements, and freelance Educational Theatre Consultant providing instructional support in various educational settings. Kirsten holds a Master of Arts in Educational Theatre from New York University and dual bachelor's degrees in Drama and Elementary Education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Town of Cary
Cary is a thriving community in the heart of the Triangle area of North Carolina, between Raleigh and the renowned Research Triangle Park. The Triangle area has repeatedly ranked among the top regions in the country to live or work, to find a home or start a business, to raise a family or retire. Cary's accolades are numerous. Money Magazine previously named Cary, N.C. the hottest town in the East and one of the Best Small Cities in America. CNN Money ranked the Town one of the best cities to launch a startup company, and Forbes named it the fourth best city for job growth. The Raleigh-Cary MSA has been recognized as one of the top places in the country creating tech jobs, according to Forbes. On the whole, Caryites are a hard-working group with one of the highest median household incomes in the state. And being no further than 20 minutes from major universities such as Duke, North Carolina State, and the University of North Carolina, it's no wonder that education is an important part of Cary life. More than two-thirds of adults hold a college degree. About 97 percent of citizens have access to the Internet in this, the Technology Town of North Carolina.