Sarah Reed Carter ’90

Degrees: B.A. in psychology; M.Ed., Vanderbilt University

Job title: Owner and director, Rockbrook Camp for Girls in Brevard, North Carolina

Favorite Trinity memory: So many favorites! I loved both junior and senior years, living right on the quad in Jarvis and Northam, dancing in the Cave, popping over to Cinestudio for great films, and being encouraged to study abroad, which just made the whole experience that much richer. I’m so grateful for the friendships that I made during those four years and the freedom to take all kinds of classes before I settled into my major.

What was your path to your current position?

As a child, I refused to attend summer camp, despite my father’s insistence that I would love it. He had experienced wonderful times attending and working at various summer camps and felt that I would, too. However, as a shy, picky-eating, terrified-of-putting-my-head in-the-water, youngest child in the family, I refused. Years later and needing a summer job, I decided I was finally ready and took a job working as a counselor-in-training at Rockbrook. Dad was right, and I spent the next seven summers working my way up to be a year-round staff member. Eventually, I met my husband there, and, after getting graduate degrees, we returned as directors.

What do you do in your role?

I oversee the recruiting, programming, staffing, communications, and camper care of the camp. My husband, Jeff, focuses on the marketing, business, facility, outdoor adventure, and technology side of the organization. From day to day, our tasks vary widely. One day may find me assigning cabins, talking with parents of a homesick camper, catching a spider in a cabin, teaching staff the tune of an old camp song, and leading an assembly in full costume. The camp has a long history, having started in the 1920s, and it has been an honor to be stewards of this space. Jeff and I are always balancing maintaining the traditions with careful updating of the facilities and protocols. We appreciate that, as owners of the camp, we can make decisions and implement them immediately.

What do you enjoy most about your work?

I love getting to know each family and learning all about each child—their goals, their fears, their quirks—and how we can help them. Having worked at the camp for decades now, the current campers are sometimes the children of my campers when I was a cabin counselor. It’s like a very large, enthusiastic family. Our alumnae are dedicated and love opportunities to have reunions, so getting to be a part of creating that magical experience for them is a real treat.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

Being a child now is a lot different than it was in the 1970s and 1980s. Helping children in the journey to come to camp, away from their parents and away from technology, can be hard at times. We have all heard about the mental health crisis for young people, and I have seen many examples of it. In addition, working through the COVID-19 pandemic required courage and creativity. At the same time, it’s very gratifying to work at a place that can so dramatically impact the lives of others in a few short weeks. Summer camp and other real-world experiences in nature are so vital for children.

How did your time at Trinity help prepare you for your career?

I really enjoyed being a psychology major and learning about the field from every angle. At our camp, we offer a Social-Emotional Learning Internship for counselors, and I often find myself in discussions with our college-aged employees about all the same kinds of topics that I learned at Trinity.

What was the most memorable course you took at Trinity? Was there a professor who was particularly influential?

“Developmental Psychology” with Dina Anselmi was the foundation for my work. She became my adviser, and I remember how personable and helpful she was. I went on to get a master’s in education from Vanderbilt, and I also was a teacher for eight years. Every experience that I have had both at Trinity and in my career has really built on that basic understanding of how humans develop.