Carol ODonnell

Location: Hope High School

Professional Background:
I started out as a playground aide and crossing guard in Creighton School District, and soon advanced to classroom reading aide, office aide, and eventually registrar. I stayed in the school district for seven years, until my principal asked me to move on as her secretary to the Paradise Valley School District, where we stayed for four years. I followed her again to the Milken Family Foundation, where I assisted her for another four years as she created the Teacher Advancement Program. When she retired as Executive Director, I came to work at Blueprint Education/Hope High School, and have been here since May 2003.

Personal Life:
John, my husband of 37 years, and I are transplants from Erie, Pennsylvania.  Our world revolves around our son, daughter, and our beautiful twin granddaughters (the “lady bugs”).

Quote You Live By:
“Say what you mean, mean what you say, in a positive way.”

What draws you to Blueprint Education?
I love working at Blueprint Education/Hope High School because of the opportunity it provides me to work with kids. They have such wonderfully diverse personalities and visions on life. I feel totally fulfilled and validated when they come back just to say “hi” or tell you what an impact you had on them. It’s amazing how sometimes just giving a student a smile and a kind word every day helps them make it in life.