At Shining Stars Therapy, we take pride in providing the best Pediatric Therapy Services for your child. Read below to learn more about our team!
Dawn Solomon OTR/L, Owner
Email: dawn@shiningstarstherapy.com
Dawn received her degree in Occupational Therapy in 1997 after attending Downstate Health Science Center at Brooklyn, NY.
Taylor Baker
Taylor grew up in Harnett County, North Carolina. She graduated in June 2014 from Harnett Central High School.
Amy Balfour MA, CCC-SLP
After receiving a Bachelor of Art in Psychology from the University of Michigan, Amy went on to complete Post-Bachelor studies in Communication Disorders at Wayne State University. Over the next 4 years, Amy worked in a skilled nursing facility, high school autism program and an adult autism program. She went on to Central Michigan University where she completed her Master of Art degree in Speech-Language Pathology.
Julie Burke, MS, OTR/L
After receiving a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2003, Julie moved to North Carolina where she worked with young children with fragile X syndrome and their families for three years. She graduated with a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from East Carolina University in 2008.
Laura Carr MS, CCC-SLP
After completing her Bachelor’s of Arts in Child Development and Family Studies, in 2000, Laura went on to receive a Masters of Science in Speech and Hearing Sciences with a focus on Pediatrics in 2002.
Katie Charron Behrhorst, MS, OTR/L
Katie grew up in Raleigh, NC. She attended NC State for an undergrad degree in Biology and worked in a DNA sequencing lab for 3 years before going back to for her Master’s in OT at ECU. Along the way to her current career, Katie was inspired to work with children by her counseling position at City of Raleigh’s Specialized Recreation department and as a Habilitation Tech at A Small Miracle. Katie’s favorite pastimes are playing music, walking her dog, drawing, and rock climbing. Katie also is passionate about teaching special needs piano and regularly volunteers with Duke Adaptive Climbing, ask her about these awesome experiences!
Mary Giro, PT
Email: mary@shiningstarstherapy.com
Mary graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science/ Pre-Physical Therapy from Rutgers University in 1989 and a Masters in Physical Therapy from University of California in 1993. Mary has over 20 years of experience in the field of Physical Therapy.
Emily Hoyle, MS, OTR/L
Emily earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Recreational Therapy from East Carolina University in 2005. Following graduation, she moved home to Raleigh and worked as an ophthalmic technician until returning to East Carolina University to obtain her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy. She graduated in 2008 after completing her fieldwork experiences in acute care, subacute rehabilitation, and the burn center.
Hadley Kirkpatrick MS, OTR/L
Hadley received her undergraduate degree in Kinesiology from the University of Virginia and her Masters degree in Kinesiology for Individuals with Disabilities from the University of Virginia. Prior to beginning occupational therapy school, Hadley worked in both public schools and private schools as an adapted physical educator for children with sensory processing disorders, cerebral palsy, autism, Down syndrome, and traumatic brain injury. Hadley enjoyed working with parents and other team members to maximize each student’s independence throughout the school day. Hadley earned her Masters degree in Occupational Therapy from Washington University in St. Louis.
Brandon Zane Klassett, MS OTR/L
Email: zane@shiningstarstherapy.com
Zane has a passion for working with children and their families to help maximize every child’s potential. Prior to becoming an OT, Zane was a competitive gymnast and coached for over 7 years. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in human occupation studies and psychology from Lenior Rhyne University in 2006. He continued at Lenoir Rhyne to complete his Master of Science degree in Occupational Therapy in 2008.
Suzanne Knight, PT
Email: sue@shiningstarstherapy.com
Suzanne Doser Knight has been a Physical Therapist for over 40 years and the majority of that time has been in pediatrics. She has worked with children 0-21 in Early Intervention, with physically and otherwise health impaired children, visually impaired as well as the spectrum of developmentally delayed.
Felicia Lisewski, MS OTR/L
Felicia received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Ithaca College in 2009. After college, Felicia always knew she wanted to work with children and became a child life specialist. As a child life specialist, she worked on a pediatric inpatient unit of a hospital providing ongoing emotional support. Felicia decided she wanted to go back to school to earn a Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy. In 2014, she graduated with a Master of Occupational Therapy degree from Bay Path College in Massachusetts.
Chelse Mentrup, MS CCC-SLP
Chelse attended Harding University where she received a BA in Communication Sciences and Disorders, afterwards, she attended the University of Texas at Dallas where she earned her M.S. in Communication Disorders.
April Nelson M. Ed. CCC-SLP
April attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst where she received a BS in Communication Disorders afterwards, she continued onto the University of Georgia where she earned her M.Ed. in Speech Language Pathology.
Kristina Nguyen MS, OTR/L
Kristina grew up in Cary, NC and always dreamed of being a pediatric occupational therapist. Since a young age, she volunteered and worked with young children with autism, sensory processing disorders, and Down syndrome. She received her undergraduate degree in Rehabilitation Services from East Carolina University and her Masters degree in Occupational Therapy from Colorado State University. During her masters, Kristina worked at an Assistive Technology Resource Center helping college students with disabilities excel in secondary education. Additionally, she completed clinical rotations in school settings, outpatient pediatric clinics, adult day programs, and inpatient rehabilitation where she gained experience working with individuals of all ages with a range of diagnoses including developmental delay, ASD, ADHD, cerebral palsy, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and visual impairments.
Kristina currently lives in Cary with her cat named Luigi and enjoys roller skating, pottery, and all outdoor activities!
Dr. Jenna Swanson DPT, PT
Jenna received her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, TN. She moved to the Raleigh area in 2010 and has been practicing exclusively in the field of pediatrics since 2011.
Brittany Zinkow, MS CCC-SLP
Brittany received her Bachelor’s of Science degree in Health Services Management from East Carolina University. She completed her Master’s Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders at North Carolina Central University with a concentration in Augmentative and Alternative Communication.