June 2026 - Carolyn Sarpy-Kennon

How long have you been in education, and what positions have you had?
 I have over 15 years of experience in education. I began my career as a bus driver, a role I held for eight years. While completing my bachelor’s degree, I transitioned into a position as an instructional materials specialist. Since 2020, I have served as an Instructional Materials Coordinator, overseeing the management, distribution, and implementation of educational resources to support student learning and instructional effectiveness.  

 What would you tell a person new to this job?
 Stay ahead of timelines. Ordering, distributing, and tracking materials is all about anticipation. Back-to-school, testing windows, curriculum adoptions—these aren’t surprises, so plan for them well in advance. It's better to have things planned out than to react.  

What is the most unexpected challenge you have faced in this role?
Receiving items you didn’t order and having to figure out who requested them, if they were sent by mistake, and where they belong—all while keeping inventory accurate. The difficulty is balancing speed and accuracy: you can’t let items sit around, but you also don’t want to assign them incorrectly.

What is one skill you would love to learn and why?
 I would love to train my attention so that my experience of time feels slower, fuller, and more spacious.   Life can feel so fast sometimes —planning, worrying, replaying. To focus my attention on the present, if even briefly, may allow moments to stretch out

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