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Hello, Carnegie families!
I’m Ms. Williams, and this is my fourth year at Carnegie, so I guess that makes me a senior! I wanted to share a little about my background, what I’ve been working on here, and where I’m focusing my time now.
The experience I bring
Before Carnegie, I taught English in Korea and Switzerland, worked as a Patient Experience Manager at Seton Medical Center, and helped coordinate employee training in HR at BP. I also worked as a professional organizer, helping neurodivergent clients create spaces and systems that worked better for them.
Different jobs, but a lot of the same lessons: listen first, get to know people, and understand that everyone needs something a little different. Sometimes helping means connecting someone with a resource. Sometimes it means getting several people together. And sometimes we have to get creative and try something new.
What I’ve been building at Carnegie
I started in Wraparound Services, connecting students and families with resources. I spent those first two years learning about Carnegie, building relationships, and figuring out where I could help.
When Wraparound positions were being eliminated, I approached Principal Moss about staying at Carnegie as an At-Risk Program Manager. He said yes! That’s when my work expanded into academic support.
Here are some of the things I’ve helped make happen along the way:
More opportunities for students to lead and get involved
Supported clubs through sponsorship, student leader training, clearer expectations, and a club manual.
Involved student clubs in preparing break baskets for families.
Helped create or bring programs to campus, including Spanish Speaking Solutions, Rhino Camp, and Big Brothers Big Sisters, Tutoring at Lanier.
Sponsored cheer, boys volleyball, and esports, and helped make Carnegie’s first Holi celebration happen.
More places and ways to get academic help
Started after-school study hall with PTO support. Some students were staying on campus without a supervised place to go, so I changed my work hours to stay later and opened the library.
Expanded after-school support to include free teacher tutorials.
Coordinated Math-a-matics tutoring for students struggling in math and science.
Created and continued improving the ADVO intervention process so teachers can arrange makeups, reteaching, and structured work time during the school day.
Created the teacher academic help directory and Rhino Resource Hub to make support information easier to find.
None of this happens alone. Teachers, students, families, PTO volunteers, and community partners have all helped these ideas grow.
Where my time goes now
My responsibilities now include At-Risk academic support, Section 504 coordination, and serving as the academic lead within our Multi-Tiered System of Supports, or MTSS.
That means more meetings, more documentation, and more coordination behind the scenes. My priority is students who are failing courses or have other needs that call for additional support. I work with students, teachers, counselors, and families to figure out what’s getting in the way and what we can do about it.
What I’m learning next
I’ve helped create more opportunities for support at Carnegie. Now I want to better understand what’s working. Who’s using these resources? Are they helping? Who are we still missing? I want to use that information to guide what we do next.
I’m also interested in exploring a mentor mindset and building a community of C.A.R.E. I see students who want to do better but aren’t sure how to get started, or get started and struggle to keep going. I want to learn more about how we can support them through that process while helping them build confidence and independence.
I’m grateful to bring my experiences to Carnegie, and I know I still have plenty to learn from our students, families, and staff!
What should I know?
Students and families see things I might miss. Is there something making school harder than it needs to be? Something you need help finding? Or something that’s working well that we should keep doing?
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