Testimonials and Endorsements of Amy Carrier’s Work

Teachers & Education Leaders

Thomas R. Rochon 
President of Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY

After listening to Amy address a room full of alumni and students, Ithaca College President Thomas Rochon endorses Amy Carrier as "among the best motivational speakers" he has heard.

"I have seen Amy light up a room of hundreds of people with an inspiring talk that begins with recognition of what her audience needs and is concerned about and that then takes people on a journey of discovering what they need to do in order to achieve their goals. I have heard a lot of public and motivational speakers on every imaginable topic, and Amy is among the best."

 

Jonathan Sproul,
Director Office of Partnerships and Institutional Advancement Boston Public School Department

"Amy's depth and breadth of school system knowledge and ability to see the strategic process to system-wide change leads to valuable recommendations. " Amy Carrier was recommended to me by a colleague as I sought assistance with a research report on best practices and district blind spots in Boston's school-business partnerships. In addition to providing a firsthand understanding of school-business partnerships' invaluable impact on workforce readiness programs, Amy also contributed by conducting in-depth interviews with a diverse set of school-business partnership stakeholders in Boston. Her knowledge of the ecosystem – coupled with real feedback from the wide-variety of stakeholders – yielded valuable research and effective strategies that will inform school-business partnership work to come. Amy’s insight from past work on both the school/classroom and system levels proved to be a very solid asset. Her perspective was always balanced, stemming from her experience implementing partner-supported initiatives in the nonprofit sector within multiple schools, as well as her hands-on understanding of developing a successful program at a well-known high school in the district. The in-depth report Amy produced has informed a larger scope of work we now seek to develop further in the Boston Public Schools.

Peggy Kemp,
Headmaster Fenway High School, Boston, MA

Ms. Peggy Kemp, Leader of Fenway High School, a New American High School and in-district pilot in the Boston Public School district recommends Amy Carrier. I have known Amy Carrier for more than five years, and as headmaster of Fenway High School, I have worked closely with her as she served as Director of our Ventures Program. Ventures is a career – readiness and entrepreneurial program that is offered to seniors and juniors at Fenway High School. It consists of multiple components including classroom instruction, job shadowing, mentoring, public presentations, and full-time internships. As the Ventures Director, Ms. Carrier coordinated all components of the program and developed and nurtured partnerships with a wide range of individuals, businesses, and nonprofit organizations. Ms. Carrier played a key role in preparing students for the successful transition to post secondary education and work experiences. During the more than five years that Ms. Carrier served as Ventures Director, she improved and strengthened the Ventures curriculum; expanded internship site options; increased the size of our annual Career Fair; and developed our students’ financial planning skills. She developed a partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts that resulted in more than 25 Blue Cross employees annually serving as mentors to Fenway students and that additionally was recognized by the Boston Business Journal in 2010 as the Nonprofit Partnership of the year. I highly recommend Amy Carrier. She is exceptionally capable and well organized. Her written and verbal communication skills are excellent. She is a visionary leader who can motivate and encourage collaboration and innovation. Amy served as both a coach and a mentor to her students, and while setting high expectations for academic achievement and professional conduct, she was also compassionate and supportive of students who were facing a personal challenge. Amy Carrier sets high standards for her work and is always professional. Peggy Kemp Head of School Fenway High School

Benadette Manning, Master Math Teacher
2011 Betsy A. Nelson Educator of the Year Award WinnerFenway High School, Boston, MA

Award-winning teacher uses a version of Amy Carrier's curriculum in her tenth grade Advisory classes. I have been teaching high school math for 16 years in both the Boston Public Schools and Cambridge Public Schools.  I taught English at St. Anne’s Catholic School in Houston, TX as well as served as an administrator at Cambridge Public Schools. I am certified as a Principal, Vice-Principal, English, and Math teacher. I am a parent of four children aged 24 to 18. My son has a learning disability. All of my children attended private secondary schools. Needless to say, my experience in pedagogy and schools is lengthy and varied. Under Amy’s direction, the Ventures program had taken a radical turn for the better. Students were not only going to internships, they were poised with their resumes, business suits, and had mock interviews. Students in this program also had the experience of developing their own businesses and business plans. They worked with a team of other students to develop a business plan, and “pitch” it to a group of real business professionals. Having attended business school myself, I was in awe at what high school students were able to do in Amy's class. My advisory partner and I believed in the vital importance of Amy’s business planning education approach so much that we used her curriculum in our advisory class. I want to note that our students loved working on their projects and developing their business plans. I think it is critical that EVERY secondary student in the US have the exposure to the business world as our students did with Amy’s curriculum. Not only is the content as vital as reading and writing, but students understand the material and they love it!  

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Students and Families

Wanda Aviles (mom) and Marcos Baez (son)

Mother and Son have a long-standing relationship with Amy Carrier that began in an after school program, continued through high school and into college years.  Learn more about the family and Amy's teaching perspective in the book, "Next Up At Fenway" by Steve Marantz.

We are grateful to have Amy in our lives and have this connection with her even after Marcos left high school. This connection is in fact what we believe so strongly needs to be built into programs like the one Marcos experienced.

Marcos didn't know how to write a resume, a cover letter or open and manage a checking account. He was unorganized as a student and no one was helping him to understand not just how to get organized but why. Ms. Carrier did this in many ways through her teaching, her personal concern for students and her curriculum.

It is so important for kids to learn how to be independent after high school. A lot of kids don’t have parents to teach them what it takes to live successfully as an adult. And even if they do, all of the things kids need to know and need to learn they may never learn from parents because parents don’t sit down and talk with kids to talk about these things. Every student needs to learn how to be successful, how to interview and get a job, and they need to learn this during high school before they go into the real world and certainly before they start making money. They need to know what to do with money when they start making it and most importantly, they need to learn the value of it. The personal finance lessons (Marcos says “I didn't even know what a credit score was!”) were so important, and so were the lessons he learned about business finance through his entrepreneurship class with Ms. Carrier.

Marcos says that the entrepreneurship course in junior year taught him how to build a business, a nonprofit, and then pitch it. He learned so much in that class that he couldn't imagine that there was more. When his senior year of class with Ms. Carrier arrived, it was so obviously applicable to all seniors because we were learning things that all students needed to know regardless of where we were headed – college, career or military.

For our family, the friendship and personal connection that Ms. Carrier provided to her students and their families was so important. What she taught students could be challenging and personal to the students and in order to support the kids, she made sure they could always call and always ask a question. Kids will have questions that they may not be aware of when they are learning – they need to have that lifelong friendship and support from other adults so they can ask questions. Ms. Carrier is unique this way – she is open to questions and phone calls. Kids who have that kind of connection outside of home life are blessed.

This kind of curriculum that Amy is working to bring to all students requires personal connections and Ms. Carrier even built that into her program – kids built networks of other adults they can call on. Young people need ongoing guidance and support in order to succeed in adulthood. Marcos feels fortunate to have support from both Ms. Carrier and from mom and at home but we are fully aware that so many kids have none of this.

We want to thank Ms. Carrier. We are so happy that she is a part of our lives. Marcos will graduate from the College of the Holy Cross in 2015 and he still seeks guidance and career coaching from Ms. Carrier. A history major, Marcos is looking for internships in the Worcester area – if you contact Ms. Carrier with an opportunity, she said she will connect you with Marcos!

Janice Watts (mom) and Keisha Bynoe (daughter)

Mom touts importance of her daughter's opportunity to learn professionalism in Ms. Carrier's class and daughter reports that she still refers to her professional portfolio four years after graduation.  

Ms. Carrier’s lessons were the perfect segue for Keisha to prepare for real life situations, preparing her for what she is bound to encounter in her future. It provided Keisha with a preview of what it would feel like to be seen as a professional adult. This is an important aspect of life. It is invaluable that these lessons be taught to high school students like my daughter so that they all know what to expect after high school. Not many high schools provide students with this knowledge and they should.

From Keisha:

I met Ms. Carrier my junior year at Fenway in her Ventures class. After graduating Fenway High School in 2010 I went on to study at the College of the Holy Cross where I am a third year student. In her classes, I learned what it takes to create a business from nothing. But who knew I that I would have ended up taking another class with her. The following year I took her senior Ventures class where professionalism was key. In this class I learned some of the aspects of a professional life. As part of the class students were asked to think about where they would see their selves in twenty years which helped me think about what I wanted to study when I went to college.

Finally with 2 moths left of class Carrier made it possible for Fenway students to go off on six week internships which put some of what we learned to the test. By the end of the year I had a professional portfolio that I still I refer to all the time. In fact, the most valuable item I refer to lately is the cover letter I learned how to write. I make updates to the contents of it and my professional portfolio has become my life!

Ernest Williams
Former Student, Fenway High School Class of 2010

One young man says that Ms. Carrier's "seeing students as people and caring like a mom in the classroom" helped him learn to how to trust and soar to a high-profile gubernatorial election internship and a top college.

Hello Everyone, I have known Amy Carrier since my freshmen year at Fenway High School (2007) – that’s seven years now and I have a lot to say about what I’ve learned from her in and outside of the classroom. I met Ms. Carrier before I had the opportunity to take her class through something Fenway calls “Project Week”, where students get to choose a group activity outside of regular academics to learn about and explore for one week. Ms. Carrier was the coordinator of the Art group which I decided to join because I loved to draw. I was happy that she was the group coordinator because I heard a lot about how she was more than just a great teacher. I thought it was a great opportunity to learn more about drawing and develop a connection with a teacher who had a powerful reputation even though I wouldn’t be in her class for two more years. As a ninth grader, I wasn’t exactly mature so I made things difficult at times but Ms. Carrier did not give up on me no matter how complicated I became with her. This was what I now know has strengthened my relationship with a teacher who has gone so far above and beyond for me in life. (How many high school teachers offer to help move their former students into their freshmen dorm rooms? That’s what she did for me – I was on crutches and didn’t have anyone else to help me out. I didn’t even have to ask – she knew I needed the help.) I realized after two years of being in Amy’s project week group that she cared about her students – and that included me, despite my antics. I knew I could go talk to her about the struggles I was facing even though she was not yet my classroom teacher. I felt she was the only one that I could talk to about most things. I knew I could trust her. When I got to take Ms. Carrier’s class my junior year, I understood what all the other students talked about. In the classroom she was like a mom to her first-born child. Her dedication to helping me and my classmates learn as much as we could in her “Ventures Program” was number one on her priority list. Caring about our personal lives was just as important as helping us learn. She saw us as whole people. That’s why I knew I could trust her – she understood what I had been through, and sought to help me with my personal issues in whatever way she could. She was completely aware when I was shutting down in class because things in my private life became too complex and she reached out, had patience and stuck with me. Ms. Carrier believed in me when I did not believe in myself. She was always checking on me even when I was not in her class. She saw me throughout the day and could tell if something was on my mind. When I had problems or things I wanted to get off my chest, Ms. Carrier was the person I would turn to, and sometimes she was my only motivation to keep going. Her Ventures classes were challenging but they were an eye opener for me, because I had the chance to work on the very things I struggled with as a student in a public high school. I can honestly say that I learned how to have a work ethic from Ms. Carrier’s classes, assignments and feedback. I learned how to prepare myself for job interviews (most kids in today’s society attend job interviews not knowing what is expected of them). I learned how to save money, and how to spend it the right way. Her teaching style worked for me and my peers – she cared about us understanding the material rather than just getting through the curriculum. Ms. Carrier knew that we all had strengths and weaknesses and she tried her best to turn all of our weakness and bad habits into strengths and good habits. Amy’s passion to help every student succeed in her classes was highly respected and appreciated. I realize now that what she taught us is what all students should be learning. Every high school has a responsibility to prepare students for the real world. Learning how to develop business plans not only benefits students interested in majoring in business for example – the entire process teaches us so much of what we will need to know about teamwork, how people communicate with each other and so much more. We need to know how to use our organizational skills and how to work together effectively – this takes the kind of learning we got in our “Junior Ventures” entrepreneurship class. Even beyond that, having the chance to experience a real-world internship for the first time helped me “try on” what life would be like. I know now that my senior internship was a great opportunity for me to network and meet new people who may be able to help me out down the road (I did my internship at Governor Deval Patrick’s reelection campaign headquarters!). I know today, as a junior at Brandeis University, that everything I learned with Ms. Carrier has prepared me well for the future. Most of what Ms. Carrier taught us in high school I have experienced as a college student – and that makes me feel ahead of the rest. I sincerely hope that someday all students get to learn what I did from a teacher just as passionate about helping her students succeed and become great people. - Ernest Williams

Antionetta Kelley
Harvard Intern, Mentee, Former Student, Fenway High School Class of 2007

A former student, mentee, intern and colleague of Amy's talks about the value of her experience and the skills she has gained from Amy Carrier's career and life readiness coaching.

Having Amy Carrier as my Ventures Instructor in high school was an absolute pleasure and provided me with the most relevant and rewarding learning experience to date. Ms. Carrier’s course introduced topics that low-income youth are not generally exposed to, such as, career planning, financial literacy, and professional development – to name a few. I can truly say that everything I know about these topics I learned in Ms. Carrier’s Ventures course. Fortunately, I have been able to successfully grasp key life skills as a result. Ms. Carrier’s positive/reaffirming teaching style was one that my peers and I needed in order to build self confidence, graduate, and pursue meaningful careers. Even after graduation, Ms. Carrier’s commitment to supporting us never dwindled as she helped me obtain my first leadership role as a Campaign Director for a 2009 Boston Mayoral Candidate and lent herself as a resource when I had questions, concerns, or just needed positive reinforcement. Today, I am enrolled full time in the Harvard Graduate School of Education where I am pursuing my Masters degree in Education Policy. I also formally interned with Ms. Carrier in the fall of 2013 as part of my Masters program to learn more about building an educational business. I hold a Bachelor of Arts degree from Smith College in American Government and Spanish, and I serve as an AmeriCorps Member at the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI), a statewide legal services agency, in the Housing Unit. At MLRI, I am the Coordinator for the Boston Resident Training Institute, whose mission is to empower residents in Boston public housing through education. I am gaining tremendous experience in grassroots organizing through my internship and work I do to spread the word and advocate for reform around the very skills I gained from Amy's class. I find the knowledge and skills that I learned in her class useful daily as I advocate for low-income communities across the city, and I am confident that I will continue utilizing those skills and knowledge for the rest of my life.

Carlos Guerrera
Former Student, Fenway High School Class of 2010

Former student's experience learning entrepreneurship, writing a business plan and completing a corporate internship while still in high school helps him make informed life and career decisions. My name is Carlos Guerra and I am currently a senior at Union College. Even though I am well out of high school the experiences and learning that took place during that time still influence me in my decisions today. One of the most influential and helpful classes I took was Ms. Carrier's Junior and Senior Ventures course. During my time in this class I learned a variety of useful real-world skills ranging from writing cover letters, participating in mock interviews, and prepping /presenting a business idea. I do have to say, however, that one of the most useful gains from this program was the 6-week internship all students must commit to at the end of senior year. This seemingly small effort to give students an idea of what real work is like serves a much higher purpose in the long run. These internship opportunities allow for students to go in to a field they think they might like. By actually working for that time, students are able to take a step back and make a more informed decision about what they choose for a career. Knowing something like this gives any student a significant advantage when it comes to taking important classes in colleges or applying for jobs. The internship, regardless of whether the student enjoyed it or not, also benefits the students because it gives him or her crucial experience that employers look for. Personally I have experienced all of the benefits I have just described and I honestly believe that the only way a program like this could be any better is if it became available to more students.

Stephen Harper
Student, Fenway High School Class of 2009

Amy Carrier's former student speaks about his experience in her class and how the lessons he learned have carried him into adulthood.

My name is Stephen Harper. I graduated from Fenway High School with the class of 2009. During my stay there I only had 2 years in the Venture program with Ms. Carrier. I built a friendship with Amy Carrier well before I had the opportunity to take part in her program though. Even before the many lessons I learned from Ms. Carrier, she was always an inspirational presence in my life that helped me to form my future goals and ambitions. From the art museums we visited together to the class room where she taught, I learned not to be afraid to express myself and to be confident while giving a presentation.

The most important lesson I received from Ms. Carrier’s Ventures course is how to present myself in a professional manner and command the respect and attention of my audience. If I can do that during a presentation then I can apply those same lessons in my everyday life.

My Favorite quality in Amy (which I get to call her now) is her ability to find the good in any person and bring it to the surface. She always had a kind word followed by a smile to keep you going when times got rough. Our many conversations about art and the art field help me to realize that I want to go into the illustration/ computer graphics field. Right now I’m working on a few projects with friends of mine creating our own graphic novel as well as a book series. Any and everyone that has the opportunity to take part in a program like the one Ms. Carrier developed for us should make it a priority to do so. Every student will benefit from what she taught in the program. The greatest benefit for students is taking part in real-life lessons that will teach them what’s truly needed to be successful in today’s world. Plus, in my case, it was all taught by a great teacher.

VonMarie Rosario 
Former Student, Fenway High School Class of 2007

Ms. Carrier's former student faces cancer diagnosis and calls upon the entrepreneurial skills she learned to start her own photography business and have confidence through her darkest days.

The greatest takeaway from Ms. Carrier’s curriculum was the assignments she gave us that would require us to think about our futures. I explored many different career options throughout her class. I can say she is the ONLY teacher I have had in the past that I still have contact with. She was very involved with her students and made it easy to come and talk to her whenever we needed, whether it was school related or not. Two of the most important values I learned from Ms. Carrier were Perseverance and Networking. With her personal story she inspired me to keep exploring careers and continue to always educate myself. I work full time for Tufts Health Insurance and have started my own photography business.

I landed my full time position at Tufts Health Plan by first becoming a temporary employee. While in my contract with this company I made certain I networked throughout the department. I allowed them to see my full potential and the skills that I had in order to perform just as a full time employee would even though I did not yet have a background in the field of health care. Soon enough my hard work paid off and I was hired as a full time employee in the Clinical Review Department. Right after high school I enrolled at Newbury College for Graphic Design. I finished my first semester and realized in January that it was too much money to continue so I took the next semester off. It was in these few months away from college that I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. From April to October I was in and out of the hospital doing my Chemotherapy and Radiation Treatments. I was unable to go back to school because of my health and financial issues. While dealing with all of this, I knew I had a skill and a passion so I started my own business.

Bee Captured Photography is my little growing business. I have invested in my very own studio equipment, camera, editing software and professional photo printer. I am currently building clientele and educating myself until I am able to continue school full-time and earn my degree. In my business, I specialize in maternity, children, wedding and engagement photos. I want people to get the quality images that they want at a reasonable price and from someone who is going to care about their work, not just some department store studio who is in it just for the money. I love what I do and want to continue to grow in every aspect. I’m grateful for the lessons I learned in Ms. Carrier’s classes about being successful and persevering no matter what.

Jenée Hampton
Former Student, Fenway High School Class of 2007

Young woman who completed high school internship and is now a full-time employee at PricewaterhouseCoopers says greatest take away from Ms. Carrier's curriculum is having a plan and setting goals. I was a student of Ms. Carrier's for two years, until I graduated from Fenway High School. She and I have remained close since then and we have continued to work together on various engagements. My greatest take away from Ms. Carrier’s curriculum was the importance of setting a plan. I was taught that a plan that takes a few unexpected turns is better than no plan at all. A part of that lesson was communicated through the “20 Year Plan” – a project assigned to us in class that asked us to think about and plan for the future – what we hope for and the unexpected. Prior to that assignment, I had not given my future any thought. I was merely attending school because it was the right thing to do. The 20-year plan made me seriously think about my future and I set forth toward that plan when the class was over. I believe that Ms. Carrier taught me the most important life lesson to this day: "The world doesn't revolve around me!" Through my many conversations with her, I was able to get my head out of the clouds and face the life that I had in front of me. When I'm ready to give up or I get too stuck in my ways, I hear her words of encouragement in the back of my head. I deeply value all that I have gone through with Ms. Carrier and I cherish the bond that we still have. Since my days as a high school student at Fenway, I have been working hard toward my goals. I have graduated from Northeastern University with a Bachelor's Degree in Science in Business Administration with a dual concentration in Accounting and Finance. I have already accepted a full-time job offer from a Big Four Accounting firm in New York City. It just so happens that I was introduced to this EXACT firm by Ms. Carrier during my senior year at Fenway (she called the head of the department of diversity and convinced her to take me as an intern). I completed my six-week internship as a high school senior, which was a requirement in Ms. Carrier's course, at the firm's Boston office. Here I am all these years later working for them fulltime as a college graduate. Ms. Carrier’s lessons on everything from professionalism to building resumes and interviewing definitely started me off on the right foot in the corporate world and, at such a young age, gave me an advantage. Regards, Jenée L. Hampton ‘07

Ngoc-Han Ngo
Former Student, Fenway High School Class of 2011

Ms. Gno, Amy's former student, says valuable lessons, real world experience and confidence building prepare students for college and career. I am in my third year at Emmanuel College and I am an intern at Dana Farber Cancer Institute. I plan to major in Biology for the pre-med program or major in Art Therapy. I had the opportunity to have Ms. Carrier as my teacher during my senior year at Fenway High School. She has high expectations and provided us opportunities to express our individuality in our work assignments all the while teaching us professionalism skills for the adult world. My greatest takeaway from having Amy as a teacher, as well as a supervisor during my senior internship was gaining the confidence and the inspiration to pursue my goals no matter how difficult they will be to attain. The lessons she taught me have empowered me to pursue opportunities and learn new things outside my comfort zone. I decided to find a way to pursue both career fields of becoming a medical doctor as well as an art therapist. I find this to be the way I want to give back to the community because the physical and mental health of individuals is an important contribution to living a healthy life. I believe that all students should receive the opportunity partake in classes and lessons like what Amy taught us in her program. This provides students, like my fellow classmates and myself, an opportunity to experience an internship, and establish a well-produced resume for future purposes - as well as cover letters, with the guidance of someone like Amy. Such lessons play an important role in preparing high school students for college and the work world. Aside from learning professionalism, having doors opened for us helps us to see how each one of us is truly unique.

Yvia Pulido
Former Student, Fenway High School Class of 2011

From budgeting to interviewing to communication skills, Yvia has learned how navigate and succeed in college and the workplace. In my senior year in Fenway High School I had the opportunity to take a class that taught me skills everyone should know before leaving high school. I learned how to budget and save my money, how to interview, make a cover letter, a resume, and how to communicate professionally in the work world. The skills I learned in Ms. Carrier's class enabled me to obtain my current job on my college campus as an assistant in the athletic department. Ms. Carrier's Ventures class matured me greatly and educated me on the many flaws that exist in the work world through her lessons on "isms" in the workplace. The class has definitely helped me in my college life. If you have the opportunity to take a class like I took, go for it because it will make a difference in your life.

Calvin Harvey
Former Student, Fenway High School Class of 2007

Looking back, Calvin says the most valuable lesson from Ms. Carrier was learning how to think outside of the box and plan for the future. It has been a while since I sat in Ms. Carrier's classroom - I have since graduated from college I am now an admissions adviser at Kaplan University, and getting married this year. I feel as if I may be getting old and everything in my past is just gone but in reality it is not and throughout all of my accomplishments in life since high school and all that I have been through there is one teacher and one program I will always remember. That teacher is Ms. Carrier and her Ventures program. Ms. Carrier to me was a motivator, communicator, and an innovator. She was a motivator because she would push us to achieve things we never thought we could. She was the one to show you and tell you, “you can do it”. Ms. Carrier always made sure you strived for greatness. To this day I have carried that with me and I believe and know that regardless of any situation I can be great. Ms. Carrier was also a communicator. Before you can ask a question Ms. Carrier wanted to know how she could help – she always asked us what she could do to make anything better. I loved that she was a teacher who believed communication was the key to success and today I can honestly say I believe that as well. When it came to being innovative I believe to this day Ms. Carrier is and was the best at it. She created one of the best programs I have seen or been a part of and I am twenty two years old. The program Ms. Carrier developed was the best program I have ever been a part of. It has honestly prepared me for my future and provided me with many firsts: I created my first resume with Ms. Carrier (I look at my first resume all the time so that I never forget where I have been and how far I have come); I did my first internship through her class and I got my first job opportunity as a result of it as well. What Ms. Carrier taught us made sure that we went beyond what we thought we could do. Looking back, the most valuable project in the class was called the “20 years project”. It was that project which allowed me to expand my horizons and really consider where I wanted to be in life down the road. The project was a great way to help us learn how to think outside the box and live for the future - not just for the present moment. And now that I’m living part of that future plan, I am proud to say that my fiancé and I are starting a business in the near future and we are very excited. I have a lot of great insight into taking that huge step in life having learned what I learned from Ms. Carrier. Ms. Carrier is great at what she does and I am a witness to that. She is the only teacher I had who is still looking for ways to help me in any way possible. She is a great motivator, communicator, innovator and a great person in general who is willing to help everyone and you cannot ask for anything more.

Jerelle Reverack
Former Student, Fenway High School Class of 2006

One of Amy's very first students says she learned how important it is to find what you love to do - and believe that you have the power to achieve your goals. It is not very often that you meet people who take an interest in your life or people who put their life on hold in order to help you better yours. But these are the qualities I found in Ms. Carrier as my teacher for the Ventures program when I attended Fenway High school. I am very thankful for this program because it provided me with opportunities I would not have received otherwise. Without the Ventures program, I would not have had the opportunity to engage in such a challenging and exciting internship at Massachusetts General Hospital at such a young age. With the guidance of Ms. Carrier, the Ventures program has helped me to realize how important it is to find what you love to do and that achieving your goals is possible! I graduated three years ago from Denison and I am now in my second term working as a Teacher’s Assistant for the K2 class at Saint Patrick’s School through the AmeriCorp program.

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Partners and Clients

Mark Buckley, VP Environmental Affairs
Staples, Inc. World Headquarters, Framingham, MA

Staples, Inc. VP of Environmental Affairs endorses Amy Carrier's model of business supported public school-based workforce development.

As the Vice President of Environmental Affairs at Staples Global Home Office, I am writing this endorsement of Ms. Amy Carrier and her leadership of an innovative model of workforce development and business education for high school students. I had the pleasure of working with Ms. Carrier in her capacity as the Director of the Ventures Program at Fenway High School in Boston, MA where I and my staff hosted students for internships in our corporate headquarters for two consecutive years. I wholeheartedly supported her work in Boston and her efforts as a talented education consultant to grow and expand this cutting edge educational model, its structure and curriculum. The Staples Corporation had the pleasure of placing three students from Fenway High School into 6 week internships at Staples Global Home Office in Framingham, MA. The company designed specialized internships for each of the students and afforded them opportunities to work on environmental issues including reducing waste, accessing Staples solar energy programs and more. The students’ high quality of work, self confidence and exceptional level of professionalism was remarkable. It is clear that they benefitted greatly from the academic, professional and networking strategies taught in Amy’s program at Fenway High School. Ms. Carrier’s enthusiastic leadership in education and forward-thinking model for workforce development at the high school level make a real difference. The internship opportunities offered through her program are critical: they reinforce personal responsibility and expose students to real work life situations. Furthermore, these opportunities equip the students with not only the academic skills, but also the social skills of networking and effective business communication central to success in the work world. Clearly Amy Carrier’s model provides students with the essential tools they need to succeed and excel in the business world. The curriculum that Ms. Carrier has developed, along with her forward-thinking leadership in this arena, represent the type of educational leadership that we need as a nation. To that end I would most enthusiastically recommend that others join Staples in supporting Ms. Carrier’s work to bring this kind of curriculum and preparation to all students in Boston, Massachusetts and our nation. Sincerely, Mark F. Buckley VP Environmental Affairs Staples, Inc

Lauren Corduck, Executive Director
Solutions at Work, Cambridge, MA

Nonprofit developing homelessness reemployment and self-sufficiency programs seeks Amy Carrier's guidance to conduct organization-wide programmatic audit and recommend improvements. “I highly recommend Amy Carrier for consulting engagements in the nonprofit sector. She is capable of skillfully managing virtually any project related to the sustainable growth and development of nonprofit organizations including infrastructure, board, staff, and fund development. She is particularly well-equipped for engagements that involve community needs assessment; program design, development, implementation, and evaluation; and the development of strategic partnerships. Ten years ago, under my direction, Amy established and managed the TECH CORPS program within Boston Public Schools, a program that mobilized tech-savvy volunteers to help teachers use technology more effectively in the classroom. Navigating a major urban school district such as Boston's is a herculean task that Amy did with the utmost professionalism and diplomacy. In less than three years, she brokered formal partnerships with twenty schools, established relationships with numerous high-tech firms to support the partnerships, and mobilized nearly 100 volunteers who provided 2,000+ hours of service valued at over $200,000. Earlier this year, I sought out Amy to help take Solutions at Work, the nonprofit I direct that works to end homelessness, to the next level of maturation. Solutions at Work is at a crossroads in its development, having emerged from the downturn in the economy with a weakened funding base and stagnant programs. We retained Amy to assist with fundraising as well as "audit" our programs and make relevant, specific, attainable recommendations on how bring them into closer alignment with our mission. She has tackled both projects with her hallmark flexibility and rigor, eliciting and integrating the perspectives of a multitude of stakeholders into her grant proposals and programmatic recommendations.”

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Elected Officials and Community Leaders

John R. Connolly
Boston City Councilor At-Large, Boston, MA

A longtime supporter, Boston City Councilor and former teacher John Connolly endorses Amy Carrier's curriculum and  community mentoring initiatives.

As a former teacher and a parent, I know how crucial it is to prepare and empower students for life after they leave school. Amy Carrier’s work serves this need in an important way. In 2009 I invited one of Ms. Carrier's students into my office in City Hall for an internship through the program she directed at Fenway High School. I was able to see first-hand how well her curriculum prepared a young woman with the level of professionalism and workplace know-how I would expect from a full-time employee. I have since hosted a student for a full-time internship placement from her program each year. I have also been honored to celebrate student successes as a keynote speaker at Ms. Carrier’s annual career fairs. My hope is that every student is prepared for life after high school. Every student should learn financial responsibility and professionalism and be prepared for career and college decision-making. Ms. Carrier’s curriculum, which includes business and career-preparation and experiential learning, is an important way to ensure that every student has the opportunity to practice and be prepared for his or her future. John R. Connolly Boston City Councilor At-Large

Anthony Mulongo, Founder
Mudzini Kwetu Centre Trust, Kilifi Coast, Kenya

Kenyan Social Justice Advocate Anthony Mulongo endorses Amy Carrier's empowerment classes designed especially for orphaned girls he rescues. We have and continue to enjoy the pleasure of Miss Amy Carrier working with us on voluntary basis in Kenya, Kikambala division of Kilifi District, towards developing child welfare centres and education programs targeting marginalised, neglected and underprivileged children to become the engines that will drive effective socioeconomic change for the next generation of Kenyan leaders. Miss Carrier is an extemporaneous advocate for the poor and marginalised and is gifted with exceptional persuasive skills. Miss Carrier has used such skills towards our successful fundraisings that have yielded to the development of improved programs and implementation of new and additional projects. She is indeed a good representative of our organisation in the United States and other parts of the world where we enjoy presence. As we take pride in our newly formulated programs, strategies and education curriculums we cannot divorce its successful formulation with Miss Carrier’s analytical and leadership skills, clear sense of purpose, conceptual understanding and ability to formulate programs, strategies and their implementation. With Miss Carrier’s superior knowledge, personal drive, impeccable character, charming attitude and confidence, we have self-assurance to depend on her as our representative in professional forums as a teacher, trainer, fundraiser, facilitator, and campaigner of our objects. We hold her in the highest esteem. Respectfully Submitted, Anthony Mulongo Executive Director/Founder

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