About Mr. Leon

Alfred Leon was named principal of Walter Bickett Elementary School at the June 2022 Board of Education meeting. 

Mr. Leon is a native of Miami, Florida and relocated to North Carolina in June 2016. In Miami, he worked for the Miami Dade County Public Schools system as a teacher and administrator for 12 years.

As a teacher, he taught Mathematics to low-performing students in grades 6-8. He later took on leadership positions, first as Department Chairperson over Special Education and later as Dean of Discipline. He was later promoted to Assistant Principal at Miami Gardens Elementary School. He then relocated to Union County and became assistant principal at East Union Middle School.

Mr. Leon is dedicated to making sure all students are allowed to reach their fullest potential by providing high-quality education to all, no matter the background or situations they come from.

Contact Mr. Leon

• Email: alfred.leon@ucps.k12.nc.us

About Ms. Giers

Ms. Giers serves as the PreK-2 Assistant Principal. She began her career in education teaching elementary school in 2000 in Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools. She taught in the classroom until 2009, and then she transitioned to a curriculum facilitator position for five years. In 2014 Ms. Giers moved to Union County Schools to teach 4th grade and then support as an interventionist while completing her administrative internship.

Ms. Giers earned her undergraduate degree in Elementary Education from the University of North Carolina Charlotte and her Masters in School Administration from the University of North Carolina Charlotte. She lives in Waxhaw with her two sons, Carter (11) and Christian (9). When Ms. Giers is not at football games or catching frogs in the backyard, she enjoys walking her dogs Luka, Mocha, and Romeo.

Contact Ms. Giers

• Email: jamee.giers@ucps.k12.nc.us

About Mrs. Hunt

Mrs. Hunt grew up in Clemmons, North Carolina and graduated from UNC Greensboro with a degree in Elementary Education and minor in Music in 2006. After teaching first grade for six years in Rockingham County Schools, she was selected into the North Carolina Principal Fellows Program. She graduated with a Master of School Administration degree from UNC Greensboro in 2014.  Then served for four years as an elementary Assistant Principal in Rockingham County Schools. In 2018, Mrs. Hunt and her family relocated to Union County where she supported as a Master Teacher at Marshville Elementary School and most recently served as their Instructional Support Specialist. She is a proud mom of three girls who also attends school in UCPS. Mrs. Hunt stated,  “I am passionate about working with elementary aged students and giving them the very best in their early years of education and I am thrilled to be joining the Walter Bickett community.”

Contact Mrs. Hunt

• Email: jamie.hunt@ucps.k12.nc.us

About Ms. Pernas

Ms. Pernas is a native of Miami, Florida, where she graduated from St. Thomas University with a bachelor's degree in elementary education and relocated to North Carolina in June 2014. In Miami, she worked for the Miami Dade County Public Schools system as a teacher for one year.

As a teacher, she taught mathematics and Spanish to low-performing second and third grade students. She then relocated to Union County and became an ESL teacher for various schools in Union County, including East Elementary for three years. She then transitioned into a DLI coordinator position within East Elementary. During this time, Ms. Pernas graduated with her master's degree in executive leadership and administration from Gardner Webb University. 

Contact Ms. Pernas

• Email: claudia.pernas@ucps.k12.nc.us