It’s hard to believe that we are celebrating our ten-year anniversary at Carson, and that I have been counseling and coaching as long as our school has been open. There are countless stories and relationships that I could talk about because, quite frankly, a lot happens in 10 years! What I would like to focus on is what Carson High School means to me.
I remember being a first year teacher at East Rowan and in my first full year as a graduate student at UNCC when Carson was being built. When January rolled around, job openings began being posted for our county’s first new school in 50 years, and I remember thinking how awesome it would be to be part of the opening of a new school. It would mean a chance to start something and build it from the ground up. This excited me and propelled me to apply for the Intervention Specialist role and the girls’ basketball position, although I knew it was a long shot to be selected given the fact that I had zero experience for either job.
I remember being so nervous, yet as prepared as I could possibly be, for my interview with Henry Kluttz. We met at Long Street and he talked to me for 30 minutes or so about his vision for Carson High School. Shock is an understatement for what I felt at the end of our discussion when he asked me if I wanted both the counseling and coaching jobs I had applied for. I walked out of the Long Street office thinking, “Oh my word, I just got exactly what I wanted. What in the world am I going to do?”
The saying “trial by fire” took on a completely new meaning for me that next school year, 2006-2007, as I dove into my new job and my new role as a head coach. I was humbled very quickly as I realized I didn’t know what in the world I was doing at either, but also extremely grateful for the people who embraced me, trusted me, and empowered me. I remember soaking up all the knowledge I could from Vinnie in the counseling department and being amazed at his ability to think outside-of-the-box to come up with creative solutions for students. He took me under his wing and taught me everything he knew about school counseling, always patient and always willing to listen to the never-ending questions I had. I appreciated the friendship and camaraderie Brian offered as another first-year head coach. He was so easy to work with from the start, and so much fun to bounce ideas off of. We were able to share the pains of too many defeats those first few years but also celebrate the seemingly small victories. Brian was someone I could always find some levelness in, and he was someone who helped keep me sane as a young head coach. I remember feeling complete support from our first-year athletic director Ron Raper, and then Jim Grkman who took over the following year. I felt their love and encouragement most during the first three years when our girls’ basketball team won four games total. Despite the struggle and my questioning whether I was really cut out for such a job, I always felt supported and stood by. I remember Henry Kluttz and Kelly Withers being my complete advocates on an equal level, always encouraging me to trust my abilities and to be patient with the process.
Carson will always feel like home to me because it is where I have truly “grown up” as a counselor and coach. Mr. Kluttz, Mrs. Withers, Ron, and Jim all took a chance on me and were patient enough with me to give me time to experience the process. I don’t know that I would have experienced such trust and patience anywhere else. In a world that is results-driven and desirous of immediate gains, I would have been seen as a failure to most. Hiring a 24 year-old to counsel teenagers on the tough issues of drugs, pregnancy, and the significance of staying in school, and to coach a new varsity basketball team was a major risk. It is one, though, that I will be eternally grateful that these people were willing to take.
As we fast-forward 10 years from the start, I can see that a lot has changed, yet a lot has also remained the same. There are many new faces in the positions of those who hired me 10 years ago, yet I still feel that same trust and empowerment. I appreciate the fact that Mr. DelliSanti has encouraged my growth as a counselor and allows me the freedom to work with students in creative ways. I appreciate Mark Woody continuing to support me as a coach and trusting me to do things the right way. I appreciate that Jim Girkman still sends me good luck texts before nearly all of my ballgames. I appreciate that Vinnie and Brian are still around for me to pick their brains in both realms of my world as counselor and coach, but I appreciate their friendship most.
There are so many people I am grateful for at Carson, as well as so many opportunities I have been given, but my heart overflows the most when I reflect on the chance that I was given 10 years ago at this amazing school. This is a place I could spend the next 20 years of my career at and be completely happy, because I have witnessed this special school be built from the ground up.
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