Georgia Carpenter

II graduated from William & Mary in May of 2024 Summa Cum Laude, majoring in Government and minoring in History. My most meaningful involvements were serving as a three-time Orientation Aide for William & Mary’s Office of Student Transition Engagement Programs, working as a Teacher’s Assistant for multiple science courses, leading the Order of Omega Honor Society as President, and teaching fitness classes for W&M’s Campus Recreation.

Teaching has brought together the most fulfilling parts of my academic and professional experiences and has allowed me to best utilize my strengths. I currently work as a substitute teacher for Arlington and Fairfax County Public schools, and I volunteer as a Community Coach for Girls on the Run (GOTR). Prior to teaching, I served as a Digital and Press Assistant for a member of Congress. While I loved the fast-paced, dynamic environment of Capitol Hill, I realized that I wanted a career that was more people-facing and community-oriented. After spending the past several months substitute teaching and coaching, I couldn’t be more excited to transition to a career in education. As a Substitute Teacher for Fairfax and Arlington Public Schools, I have the incredible experience of teaching 20 to 30 students daily in a classroom setting. As a Community Coach for GOTR, I co-lead a group of 10+ 3rd to 5th graders through 2-hour biweekly lessons and practices.

As a recent graduate of William & Mary, I am proud to bring a holistic, interdisciplinary approach to learning to Fairfax Collegiate. William & Mary requires its students to take courses in all major subject areas, ensuring its graduates have strong foundational knowledge in the arts and sciences. I am privileged to have taken a wide variety of courses from writing/reading intensive classes like Future of U.S. Social Policy and Leadership Theory and Application to research-heavy and STEM oriented courses like Research Methods and Science of Nutrition.

What excites me most about teaching is working with students to break down seemingly complex ideas into digestible parts and using real-life examples to get students more interested and confident about learning. As a student that struggled in elementary and middle school math, it is incredibly rewarding to reframe and utilize visual teaching techniques in my lessons to make education, especially STEM, more accessible. I also love relationship-building and utilizing students’ strengths to address learning gaps and individualize education.

I love spending my free time hiking, running with my run club, line-dancing, and doing arts and crafts. I am also incredibly passionate about sustainability (ask me about composting!). I am part of a food sustainability co-op and volunteer at a community farm on the weekends.