You may know her as your elective teacher, former coach, the nicest teacher in the Middle School, or simply Ms. Thomas. This year, teacher Carter Thomas isn’t around as much because she has found herself in different roles around campus, ones that fit her perfectly.

Thomas has been at Westminster teaching for 17 years, where her roles have been mostly the same: teaching 6th grade English classes and coaching various sports teams from softball to basketball. This year, however, she has changed to teaching only elective classes for 8th graders: Leadership 101 and EngageATL. She is also responsible for civic engagement in the Middle School. Regardless of which grade or subject she teaches, her enthusiasm stays the same. “We have the most incredible students with the desire to be challenged and to care,” she says. “Between students and teachers, I don’t think there could be a better place to work.”

Thomas was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, and moved to Atlanta in 9th grade. She is a Westminster Alum, and after graduating, she attended the University of Washington and Lee in Lexington, Virginia. Thomas never expected to become a teacher. “I always thought I wanted to be a pediatrician, [because] I love kids,” she says. Her love for helping children made her realize that teaching could be for her. “As I was becoming a biology major, I realized that I didn’t care about actual medicine but the relationships I would form with patients. [That] is what drove me into teaching.”

This is Thomas’s first year in the role of Civic Engagement Coordinator, which was held by Hartley Jeffries (previously Hartley Glass). As Civic Engagement leader, Thomas has lots of responsibilities, such as teaching electives, being the head of the Service Council, taking kids to Agape to tutor, and organizing community outreach. “What I’ve loved is getting to communicate with people at the Atlanta Community Food Bank and at the Midtown Assistance Center,” says Thomas. “Being able to be in touch with people beyond campus and learning about how we can partner with them has broadened me as a teacher and a person.”