Mrs. Carnahan Reflects on Her First Year at Glenbard West!
Mrs. Carnahan might be familiar to some students and that is because she has been the coordinator of the Write Place since last September! She helps students write their absolute best writing pieces and pairs tutors with students. Before joining Glenbard West in September, she was the Write Place coordinator at Glenbard South so she definitely has the Write Place under control. She believes the best part of being in the Write Place is “meeting so many new, unique people and spending time with [her] tutors everyday”. Her favorite thing to do is chat with her tutors and gather feedback from them. Decorating the Write Place, introducing new ideas, and creating a comfortable and creative environment is all done by Mrs. Carnahan.
Mrs. Carnahan earned her Bachelor’s degree in English from Eastern Illinois University and then her Master’s degree in Education Curriculum from North Central College.When she was a kid, she wanted to be a veterinarian but when she realized that the job is not just playing around with cute animals, she thought it was best to take up a different path of life. With amazingly inspirational teachers in her student life and living with parents who are also teachers, she easily stepped into the field of teaching. English was her favorite subject in high school and reading and writing have always been her passion. A book she loves to recommend is “The Color Purple” by Alice Walker.
When asked about why she likes teaching in a high school, she said knowing that teenagers in this stage of life are going through so many things at the same time and are all so unique and wonderful is a great experience. Getting to see them grow and help them find their identities is one of the best parts of her job. Her own high school experience was pretty memorable too. Apart from being an academic, she was also in the Cross Country Track team and made it to sectionals! Seeing the great teams and sports spirit at Glenbard West makes her fondly remember her own glorious days. A lasting advice she’d give to students in the school is “to not take yourself too seriously and just enjoy your time in the present”.
These days Mrs. Carnahan is pushing forward to make the Write Place open for all 8 hours of school and hopes more people will join the tutoring team. The Write Place is available for all lunch periods for all students! Everyone is welcome to visit and see a tutor or work in a lovely atmosphere, chat with Mrs. Carnahan and have a delicious cup of Hot Chocolate!
