Where did Mr. Carter go?

Michelle Monier | Editor-in-Chief

October 3, 2024

Last year, Principal Carter led his final commencement ceremony for the Class of 2024 and announced his departure from SCHS after nine years as our principal. Between then and now, we have gotten a new principal, Principal Dr. Baker, and started a new school year with the senior class now being that of ’25. But after serving as such a beloved leader, the legacy of Mr. Carter is not long forgotten and has left many wondering, where did Mr. Carter go? 

The answer can be found in the CCA (College & Career Advancement) program. Although not always known by name, CCA encompasses classes like Newspaper, Auto, Culinary, Engineering, Vet Tech, and many more. Mr. Carter is now the Executive Director of the program, which serves the Capistrano and Laguna Beach Unified School Districts. According to Mr. Carter, he changed jobs because he has “always been enamored with the hands-on aspect of all the CTE (College Technical Education) classes that offer students a picture into future careers,” and when the position opened up he “was really intrigued and interested in the opportunity.” The CCA program is also a separate district, one that serves Capistrano and Laguna Beach, so the new role also gave Mr. Carter the chance to run his own district. 

But it was really the prevalence of CCA and the impactfulness of the program that drew Mr. Carter in. On campus, some students have an intensive academic plan starting freshman year, however many students come into high school wanting to experiment and explore a variety of interests. Mr. Carter believes that the latter is why CCA is so influential, because the program “can guide those students into a career through experiencing the career world first-hand.” As a result, the program morphs into more than just high school, as students get to learn real-world skills that “in many cases, can guide them right into careers.”

As the new Executive Director, Mr. Carter has two main focuses: protecting fiscal stability and growing the program. Mr. Carter spent his summer understanding the financial and budgetary aspects of CCA in order to know how to effectively grow the program moving forward. One of the main goals of expansion is building dual-enrollment possibilities in collaboration with local community colleges, like Saddleback and IVC. This would greatly increase the amount of college credit students can accumulate before graduation, which is especially advantageous with the continuously expanding costs of attending four-year universities. Additionally, Mr. Carter hopes to present students with more options and pathways for up-and-coming jobs in rising industries, so students have more options post-graduation. “I have always advocated for four-year universities, however, it is not for everybody, and I want to build and enhance those pathways for those students,” Mr. Carter explained.  

Even with all the new and exciting possibilities ahead of Mr. Carter with his new position, he still looks back upon his time at SCHS with great fondness. He said, “One thing I will always miss about being on campus is seeing and sharing all the success we have as a school, from school-wide success to individual student success, I was so proud and it was always so fun seeing that.” Looking towards the future, Mr. Carter plans to serve as the Executive Director for 5-6 years before retiring. And in the next years, Mr. Carter will be seen coming back to campus for meetings and other responsibilities, so if you see him at SCHS make sure to say hi and congratulate him on his new position.