Carly Priest

About Carly

Contact Carly

Carly grew up in the California Bay Area and first found Eye to Eye through her high school’s chapter. She later attended the College of the Holy Cross and was a four-year member and captain of their Division I Swimming and Diving Team as a diver in the Patriot League. Carly earned her BA in History, with honors, and English in 2018. After college, Carly joined Teach For America in Miami-Dade County, and spent three years teaching 4th and 5th grade English Language Arts and Social Studies, where she was named Rookie Teacher of the Year by her school site in 2019.

Why this Work is Important to Me

Although my parents and I always suspected that I was a different kind of learner, I was not diagnosed with my LDs until high school and college. My high school and college involvement with Eye to Eye’s programs— as a mentor, intern, and Diplomat— taught me how to advocate for myself as a student and as an adult in the workplace.

Through Eye to Eye’s work, I learned how the lifelong practice of asking for accommodations would contribute to my success and the skills to self-advocate. Not only did I need to talk about my LD to successfully complete high school, but to take college classes and state teaching exams. This work is important to me because my own experiences in and around Eye to Eye’s community made it clear just how much the ability to advocate contributes to the successes of LD people. Eye to Eye’s programs helps individuals with learning differences learn to advocate, whereby they are able to thrive and create a strong community of thinkers and leaders— and I am immensely proud to be part of that work.

Favorite Part of My Job

The incredible roster of mentors, teachers, and friends I have found in the LD community with Eye to Eye!