Carrie Lennox

Impassioned About Success 

She was a sprinter all through high school and college, but at Breck Carrie Lennox seems to have found her place for a very long run.

"I love working here," she says, "and I have from the very start. The kids, the Middle School faculty, the opportunities . . . it all makes me really happy to get up and go to work every day."

One of those opportunities was the summer-grant experience she and Middle School colleague Paul Carpenter had a few years ago: a tour of significant civil-rights sites in the south. "Seeing those sites was just overwhelming," she recalls. "And I learned so much from the trip itself, especially people’s reactions to a white man and black woman traveling together. It was something I’ll never forget."

Growing up in Northfield, Carrie was surrounded by a family of teachers and volunteers. Her mother, a single parent, is a professor of social work at St. Olaf, and both her grandparents were elementary school teachers. After college at Colgate, Carrie taught high school, worked at Lutheran Social Services and Talent Search (an offshoot of Upward Bound) and took classes at the University of Minnesota before she came to Breck nine years ago, and she says she’s never looked back.

"I guess I wasn’t too sure about working with Middle School students at first," she laughs. "Right after I got back from camp my first year here, I called my mom to apologize for my own behavior in seventh grade! But these kids are amazing. They can be a little squirrely and a little lippy, but they’re so much fun. And I know they can’t always help their behavior or lengthen their attention spans. I’ve learned that, on bad days, it’s much less likely to be the kids. It’s me."

Her colleagues admire Carrie’s devotion to her students. "Carrie spends huge amounts of time working with students during activity and after school," observes Virginia Amundson. "Many times you walk by her room and it is either filled with students seeking extra help or dotted with groups working quietly on homework. Her classroom is always warm and welcoming, and students love to hang out there."

In addition to teaching seventh grade, Carrie has also served as coordinator of History Day, developer of the Martin Luther King Day Symposia in Middle School and varsity track coach – all experiences that she enjoyed immensely. Of History Day, she says, "I’m so proud of what our students have accomplished. We’ve sent someone to nationals every year, which is absolutely amazing. But what’s even more amazing is hearing eighth graders say they enjoyed it so much in seventh grade that they can’t wait to get started again!"

Outside of Breck, Carrie is still an active community volunteer, especially in the Big Brother/Big Sister program, who enjoys spending time with family and friends. When we spoke, she was looking forward to hosting her first Thanksgiving dinner. ("I’m not exactly known for my cooking skills, though," she confesses. "I might have a pizza on hand.")

And, while she’s looking forward to the upcoming Christmas holiday, Carrie can’t wait to get back to work. "Breck is where I really learned how to teach," she says. "I’m so lucky to be a part of this group."