Inspiring Women Fall 2017

Inspiration from the FAWCO Education Team
My name is Carol-Lyn McKelvey and I am a member
of the American International Women’s Club of
Cologne, Germany. In my club I have been part of
the Programs Team and within FAWCO I am Co-
Chair of the Education Team with Arandeep Degun.
I grew up in Ohio and Pennsylvania. I left home when
I was 17 to go to university and since then, have lived
in California, New Jersey, Texas, Kansas and
Michigan, as well as Germany. I moved to Cologne
in 2013 and will be moving back home to Farmington
Hills, Michigan this fall.
I feel like my journey into the world of education
started with my mom. She was an upper grade
teacher in our Catholic school and there was no
bigger thrill than going to her classroom "upstairs."
Hanging out with the "big" kids, helping with bulletin
boards, using a red pen to help grade spelling
tests...these experiences ingrained in me a love of all
things school-related. Additionally, my mom was a
little like a superhero: she cooked every night,
worked every day, made our Halloween costumes
and various other outfits (including my aunt's
wedding dress!), and painted in her spare time (how did she have any?!), all while raising three
daughters. Who wouldn't want to follow in those footsteps, I thought! She and my dad instilled
in us the belief that we could do anything that we set our mind to, so we did, too!
As I got older, I started to have an interest in kids with special needs. Whether they were my
classmates or other kids I saw and met along the way, making a difference with and for them
became important. In my teen years, after taking a sign language class, volunteering for the
Special Olympics and assisting in an elementary school class for students with a variety of
disabilities, I was hooked. My high school, Warren Area High School in Warren, PA, also had a
fabulous special education department, where I met my first mentor, Bob Picarillo. His
openness, acceptance and expertise were motivation in my choices as I moved to college.
While at Ohio State (go Bucks!), I had the opportunity to work for two summers at a residential
camp for kids with a variety of learning challenges, including autism and Down's syndrome.
Camp Lee Mar and the mighty director, Lee Morone, cemented my passion. After graduating
with a dual certificate in K-12 Learning Disabilities and K-8 Elementary Education, I was eager to
put my new knowledge to the test. Steve, my husband of almost 30 years now but of only days
at the time, and I followed his career with Ford Motor Company to San Francisco.
Although it was shocking and frustrating to realize I had to immediately enroll BACK in school
(thank you, Cal State University - Hayward for my Master's Degree!), it must have been fate. I
met my life-long mentor and role model, Dr. Phyllis Kaplan, and her work and life in and out of
the classroom inspired and challenged me then, and it continues to do so today. CSU -
Hayward was involved in a pilot program with Oakland Public Schools (a co-teaching model
integrating 4 and 5-year-old special needs children into a traditional classroom setting), and I
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