Kathy Carter is not just a teacher here at Etowah, but a book enthusiast, a traveling junkie, a wife, and a mother. She has been teaching for 40 years, but she will retire in December. Carter wants to focus on her book club, travel, and finish personal projects at home. She wants to retire while she still loves teaching, so it would not seem forced.

“I want to be able to stay up until 2:00 in the morning, just reading,” Carter said.

Carter went to school at East Tennessee State University, where she met her husband, Ed. She continued college in Tennessee, while her husband lived in Newport News, Virginia. The pair would write letters to each other, so they could catch up. The two have now been together for 41 years.

“Long-distance relationships are hard for some, but we made it work,” Carter said.

She plans to spend more time with her two grown sons and husband who retired in September. Even though she has enjoyed her years of teaching, Carter feels it is time to go. She hopes that students and teachers will not think of her as just another retiring teacher, but someone who changed Etowah High School for the better.