EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT
Finding Home at charlotte christian by
brooke morgan, Middle School Principal
My husband and I grew up in a small town just east of Asheville, N.C. As it usually happens, we never realized just how much we appreciated our hometown until we were older. As a teenager, all I cared about was the fact that the closest mall was a dreadful hour and a half away. I took for granted the community of people who had known me since I was a baby, celebrated many milestones with me, picked me up from gymnastics when my mom needed to work late and stood by my family through every high and low that came our way. I dreamed of moving away and going to a big college (with hopefully more shopping opportunities) and found myself studying education at N.C. State University. Soon after graduating I moved to Charlotte and began teaching middle school. During the next 10 years I fell in love with teaching “in the middle,” where I found the students to be wonderfully awkward, hilarious, frustrating, fun and inspiring all at the same time. I had the pleasure of teaching all three grade levels and found that each group had their own unique set of characteristics. The sixth graders were bursting with energy and had limited spatial recognition; the seventh graders were unpredictable and were usually stuck on the friendship rollercoaster; the eighth graders knew it all (just ask any of their parents) and were literally living for the moment. This rapid transition from a child to a young adult in just three short years captivated my heart.
15 CHARLOTTE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
As much as I enjoyed my job, there was still something missing. I longed for the community feel of my small hometown and I wanted that same experience for my then 9-year-old daughter. About that time, God opened up the doors to Charlotte Christian and from the moment I was hired, I knew that I was finally home. I love that our Charlotte Christian Knights are a tight-knit community, providing that small hometown feel within the large city of Charlotte. While I first started at CCS in the upper school, I know that God placed me there for a reason. During the past three years, I have developed a much better understanding of what our middle school students need as they transition from fifth to ninth grade. Along with a strong academic program, middle school students need adults who will carry them through the most pivotal times in their lives. After finishing up my first semester, as principal I can say with confidence that every faculty and staff member in the middle school has been called to their position for a very specific reason. As a mom of a seventh grader, Graycen, (along with Tucker, 3, and Annie, 1), and as a principal, I am grateful for their dedication and for the impact they are making on students’ lives. There is no denying that Charlotte Christian School is special and there is no other place I would rather my family be. I am honored to call this school and our community ‘home’. Thank you for the opportunity to serve your family.
