Teacher Spotlight: Derinda Carter

Teacher Spotlight: Derinda Carter

Annabelle Anchondo, Writer

“If I can teach a kid to want to learn, then I’ve done my job,” teacher and school counselor Derinda Carter said. 

Derinda Carter is the 12th grade government and economics teacher. Mrs. Carter was born to Bonnie and Pride Brown and raised in Carlsbad, New Mexico. She graduated from Carlsbad High School, and then decided to attend LCU before transferring to Texas Tech. However, she became very sick and ended up obtaining her bachelor’s degree in psychology some years later. Mrs. Carter then decided to go back to school to receive her teaching certificate. 

“I didn’t ever want to teach, but I wanted to be a school counselor,” Mrs. Carter said. “That was kind of my goal. And so, I started teaching and I loved it. I absolutely loved it.” 

Mrs. Carter never thought she would ever want to become a teacher. In fact, she has always focused on being a school counselor. However, she has fallen in love with teaching and the students. 

I like peeking their interests in world events, government, and in politics,” Carter said. “That’s what I love about it. Just getting to know the kids and their families.” 

Mrs. Carter taught at Dora, New Mexico, for 18 years before coming to SEHS. She taught history there as well, and for six years, she taught every history course offered at Dora. After that, she decided to retire. Then she came to SEHS where she has been teaching and counseling for the past three years.  

“I wasn’t going to teach when I came here; I was going to council. My goals are still towards the counseling,” Carter said. “My goals are trying to make sure everybody has a future when they leave here or at least have an idea of what they want to do.” 

I started teaching and I loved it. I absolutely loved it.

— Derinda Carter

Sam Alderson, a senior this year, has especially enjoyed Mrs. Carter and has appreciated her will to help students towards their future goals. 

“She doesn’t just teach us government in her class; she also helps us prepare for college and decide what path we wanna take for our future,” Alderson said. 

Even though it is not something on Mrs. Carter’s mind, when she does decide to retire, she plans on spending her time traveling the world with her husband, Alva, and spending time with her two children, Aaron and Ashley.  

“Eventually when he [her husband] retires, we want to travel,” Carter said. “We want to go see our kids wherever they are, and so I guess that’s what I’m looking forward in the future.”   

In their free time, Mrs. Carter and her husband love to travel. She especially enjoys just getting in the vehicle and going wherever, just letting the road lead them to a new, exciting place. Besides traveling, Mrs. Carter enjoys quilting. 

“I actually like to quilt. I haven’t got to do a lot of it,” Carter said. “It seems like I don’t have the time to because by the time you spread everything out, you have to pick it back up.” 

In addition to loving traveling and quilting, Mrs. Carter really enjoys her job and loves working with the students at SEHS. 

“That’s why I came back to teaching and counseling because I wasn’t through yet,” Carter said. “I thought I had more to do.”