Mary McKnight brings over a decade of counseling and leadership experience to her role as an EPFP mentor. The daughter of two public school educators, Mary has served at Ocracoke School since 2011 as PreK–12 School Counselor and 6th–12th grade Athletic Director, building on five years as an assistant administrator.
A former Division I student-athlete in rowing and soccer at the University of Tennessee, Mary earned her B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Elementary Education before completing her M.A. in School Counseling at East Tennessee State University. Guided by values of service, stewardship, and reliability, her policy work focuses on removing systemic barriers for students. Having experienced the personal impact of disaster during Hurricane Dorian, Mary is also deeply committed to educator mental health and crisis support. Through the Down East Resiliency Network, she is helping build a peer-led disaster response initiative for educators, inspired by her work with the East-West Teacher Exchange following Hurricane Helene. Outside of school, Mary lives with her wife, who is also a public educator, and enjoys reading, traveling, cooking, and exploring great food.