Once an SGA advisor, always an advisor

If you ever walk into St. Charles High School and see an enthusiastic academic mentor repping a school polo shirt, it’s probably Danielle Carpenter.

Carpenter, academic mentor and student government association (SGA) advisor at St. Charles, recently received the Mike Michaelson Advisor of the Year Award through the Maryland Association of Student Councils (MASC) for her dedication to her role.

The MASC Advisor of the Year program was created to recognize the contributions of advisors to student council success across the state of Maryland. The Mike Michaelson Advisor of the Year Award is named after a science teacher and SGA advisor from Montgomery County who made a difference in the lives of his students during his tenure in the school system. He served as an advisor for nearly 35 years, starting in 1960 and retired in 1995.

Carpenter grew up in Montgomery County. She journeyed through her primary years in school thinking that she wanted to be a lawyer like her grandfather. That all changed once she met her seventh-grade social studies teacher. “I wanted to be her,” she said. This teacher inspired her to start thinking about education as a career. Later, Carpenter attended Frostburg State University and graduated with an undergraduate degree in social studies and psychology and a master’s in education.

“I am a living testament to what a student can accomplish with the right guidance and support, and I firmly believe that I would not be the person I am today without Ms. Danielle Carpenter,” Mechelle Johnson-Reeves, St. Charles senior, said. Johnson-Reeves currently serves as a liaison to the Board of Education of Charles County and attributes her success in the position to Carpenter. “Even after facing two failed Student Member of the Board (SMOB) elections, I can confidently state that I would not be in this position without Ms. Carpenter’s unwavering belief in me,” she said. “She instilled in me the confidence to rise above setbacks and continue advocating for what I believe in, irrespective of election outcomes.”

Carpenter can be seen around St. Charles assisting new teachers and providing them resources and support within their classrooms. She is a Relay for Life team coordinator and has extensive experience in planning events for the school such as pep rallies and Spirit Week voting. All that she does is for the success of the students who cross her path, helping them find their voice in high school and beyond. “A significant number of my students have graduated and come back and told me that they are in SGA at their colleges. I’m proud of the fact that they take what they’ve learned here and apply it throughout their lives,” she said.

Carpenter believes in student advocacy. As a former SGA member in middle, high school and college, the student voice has been important to her and something that she has been interested in, something that keeps her going in her role and what led her to her recent award recognition. “I was very surprised. You don’t do this kind of stuff for recognition and the [nomination] letters that were written were very sweet,” Carpenter said.

Charles County native turned teacher

From his earliest years of learning at Dr. James Craik Elementary School to now teaching social studies at Thomas Stone High School, Gary Winsett is no stranger to Charles County Public Schools (CCPS). “I grew up in the county,” he said. “I graduated from Maurice J. McDonough High School in 1994, attended Craik and Milton M. Somers Middle School.” After high school, Winsett attended College of Southern Maryland (CSM) previously known as Charles County Community College (CCCC). He later graduated with his undergraduate degree from St. Mary’s College of Maryland in 2001.

Originally headed to college to pursue a sportscasting career, Winsett said that he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps in broadcasting. He eventually landed on attending St. Mary’s for a degree in history and anthropology, but still not as a teacher. “I came home from class one day and was asked to teach the youth one Wednesday night at church,” he said. “I know that teenagers don’t typically pay attention to teachings but when I saw that they were engaged in what I was saying, I was like ‘OK I can teach this.’” This led him to stay an extra year at college to obtain his certification in teaching. Right after college he started teaching history at Stone and has been there ever since.

CCASC advisor

Winsett served as the school’s SGA advisor for about six years before the regional advisor role opened. Winsett did not think of applying for the position, he just wanted to help until the position was filled. “I started to help coordinate events while they found a replacement advisor,” he said. Eventually they saw the work that he was doing, he interviewed for the position and was named the new Charles County Association of Student Councils (CCASC) advisor.

“Mr. Winsett's exceptional leadership has not gone unnoticed,” Christian Kotvis, student liaison to the Board and a senior at Stone. “He has performed a plethora of roles within CCPS, including organizing CCPS’ participation in the Polar Plunge, Every 15 Minutes, Student Member of the Board election and oversight committee, Student Liaison Committee, and hosting two MASC events in Charles County in past years, all in addition to teaching U.S. Government classes,” Kotvis said. “He is always the first to volunteer to take on any initiative’s students or CCPS leadership bring up.”

Winsett is the type of advisor that you will see in the background of a group of students. He makes sure that students are seen and not so much himself. “If you see students in a group and see a tall guy in the background they’ll say ‘that’s Winsett,’” he said. He values when his former students graduate and work for CCPS. “That’s the coolest thing ever,” Winsett said.

Winsett recently received the Karen L. Crawford Regional Advisor of the Year Award named after a former regional advisor for the Montgomery County Junior Councils (MCJC), regional advisor for the Montgomery County Region of the Maryland Association of Student Councils (MCR), MASC assistant executive director and acting executive director from June 2018 to September 2019.

“To inspire, if I am any kind of influence on students to be a leader or anything along those lines, that’s my favorite part,” Winsett said.

Carpenter and Winsett both were recognized at the April 13 award ceremony at Hagerstown High school in Washington County.

About CCPS

Charles County Public Schools provides 27,765 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 38 schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.

The Charles County public school system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Kathy Kiessling, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (students) or Nikial M. Majors, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (employees/ adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, MD 20646; 301-932-6610/301-870-3814. For special accommodations call 301-934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to the event.

CCPS provides nondiscriminatory equal access to school facilities in accordance with its Use of Facilities rules to designated youth groups (including, but not limited to, the Boy Scouts).