Carmen Welton 

Modern and Classical Languages Department Head

Annie McGarry poses for her headshot during the "Annual Head Tour Guide Photoshoot" outside the Chapel on Sep. 13, 2021. (Photo by Nicholas Pfosi)

How long have you worked at Concord Academy?

Eight years in the Modern and Classical Languages Department.

What other areas of involvement at CA do you have?

I am currently a house faculty in Hobson and student advisor. I have previously been a Cross-Country and Track and Field coach, an advisor to Alianza Latina, and an Admissions Reader.

What is the best part about working and teaching at CA?

I love the energy of the community, especially around challenging the status quo. Folks are open to having their ideas challenged and their comfort zones expanded, which keeps us all operating on our growth edges as we navigate hard questions, grim realities, or unexpected opportunities together. In my classroom, my students welcome feedback and return it in equal measure, which allows me to constantly interrogate and hone my craft as an educator.

How is teaching at CA different from teaching at other schools?

CA is a delightful size. It’s small enough that you recognize everyone and have a good sense of who is who. But it’s big enough to allow you to encounter new points of view and experiences of the world at every turn. I’ve been a part of much smaller and much larger school communities and CA feels just right.

What is your favorite CA tradition?

I love the Opening Days of Residential Life. While not exactly one tradition, I love the staggered return of the Boarding Council, then Orientation Leaders, then new students, and then everyone. The way this builds momentum and community is beautiful and exhilarating. One of my favorite moments is when all the house faculty members gather in the common room to begin greeting the new students and their families as they arrive on campus. It’s an honor to be part of each student’s transition to high school, to be the adult that their parents are entrusting them to, and to witness the bittersweetness of this huge milestone moment!

What do you enjoy about living on campus?

I am deeply grateful to have this ‘village’ to raise my children with. Whether it’s access to delicious, wholesome meals nightly at the Stu-Fac, dawn walks across the misty soccer fields with our dog, or caring adults who always help keep an eye on all the kids running around campus, living here is absolutely idyllic.

What is a fun fact about you?

I grew up in Madison, Wis., so I’ve known from a very young age what an ‘isthmus’ is.