Humans of Basis: A Story of New Beginnings

Ms. Carolinna is often seen around the school, but is rarely ever idle. Whether she’s busy decorating the hallways, crocheting her next project, or keeping students entertained in late bird, Ms. Carolinna is constantly working to deliver joy to the school in ways both big and small. However, it took a long journey before she found herself working at BASIS Independent Fremont Upper — one across three continents and two oceans.

Ms. Carolinna was born in Brazil and lived there for 11 years before moving to the United States for the first time. After spending two years in the U.S., she moved back but returned for school when she turned 18. Then, after graduating from the University of Texas in Austin with a bachelor’s degree in Arts in Asian Studies, Ms. Carolinna was offered the opportunity to join an exchange program in Japan.

“Technically, I moved here twice. There was a lot of back and forth for me as a kid,” said Ms. Carolinna. “That was kind of difficult. But I think it got me into traveling a lot so I did an exchange program in Japan during college.”

Following the exchange program, Ms. Carolinna decided to live in Japan for two years. Her time there taught her invaluable life lessons that she still utilizes to this day.

“[These experiences] taught me to talk to people…being open minded and trying to listen more than talk,” she said.

Eventually, she moved back and decided to stay in the U.S., where she began tutoring kids at Kumon, an afterschool reading and math program. It was there where she learned how to understand and effectively engage with children; it was also where she discovered her love for working with kids, which eventually led to her looking for a full time job at a school.

“I really liked the kids,” said Ms. Carolinna, “So, I thought, ‘Oh, maybe working at a school would be cool.’”

She added that her favorite thing about working at BIFU is talking and interacting with the students everyday. Prior to her position change, Ms. Carolinna monitored late bird. Often, she would help students occupy their time, either by playing card games with them, teaching them crafts, or simply holding conversations about their interests. Nowadays, she is often seen in the front office, crocheting, helping with day-to-day activities, and smiling at students when they walk in.

In her free time, Ms. Carolinna enjoys watching movies, playing with her dog June, and crocheting. She advises students to be more forgiving to themselves, especially when trying new things. After all, traveling to new places and trying unfamiliar things gave her valuable insights into understanding others and making human connections, lessons that she constantly implements working at the school in order to build a safe and welcoming environment for the students.

“Don’t be scared to try,” said Ms. Carolinna, “It’s okay if you’re not good at it. You don’t have to be.”