Notre Dame Prep’s New STEAM Director Embodies School Theme with a Career Built on Trust and Daring Leaps of Faith

9/10/2025

When Notre Dame Preparatory School announced that 2025–2026 would be the year of Trust and Dare, they couldn’t have imagined a more fitting example of this theme than the school’s new STEAM Director Carrie Johnson. Johnson’s journey from the fast-paced, high-stakes world of broadcast journalism to the innovative classrooms of K–12 technology education is a masterclass in trusting one’s instincts and daring to pivot. Her story isn’t just about a career change; it’s about a relentless pursuit of purpose, fueled by the courage to take unexpected paths.

Johnson’s own educational foundation was built in the Catholic schools of Boston, where she attended grammar and high school for 12 years. Initially dreaming of becoming a novelist or print writer, her path shifted during a college fair when a brochure for Emerson College revealed the dynamic world of broadcast journalism. “I flipped it over and it had images of their broadcast studio on it, and I was like, ‘Oh, what's that?’” Johnson recalled.

That curiosity propelled her into a successful television career that spanned over a decade. At Emerson, she dove headfirst into hands-on opportunities, from writing and hosting for the school’s radio station, WERS 88.9FM, to spending a semester in Los Angeles working for CNN Entertainment. But it was her audacious move to land her first major job that truly defined her early career. After a promising phone call with the executive producer of Inside Edition in New York, Johnson made a bold decision.

“I told my mom that I needed to fly to New York, and without hesitation, she replied, ‘I’ll drive you to Logan Airport.’” Without a scheduled in-person interview, she bought a plane ticket, flew from Boston, and walked into the office. The producer was so impressed, he hired her on the spot. “He said, ‘The fact you did what you just did showed gumption and exactly what we're looking for. Move here in two weeks.’”

This was Johnson’s first great Trust and Dare moment. She packed her bags and moved to a city where she knew no one, launching a career that would see her work for major networks like Fox, WABC, and ESPN.

At WABC, she found purpose fighting for consumer rights on the “7 On Your Side” segment. Her career eventually led her to ESPN2’s morning show, Cold Pizza, where one of her most memorable assignments was covering the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens for a month. The experience was a whirlwind of around-the-clock work and creative problem-solving, and the demanding schedule meant little rest for her and the crew. “We pretty much worked for thirty days straight, but what an unforgettable experience.”

However, the glamour of television came with a price. The industry was notoriously unstable, marked by frequent layoffs, demanding hours, and constant pressure. “It’s a heavy weight to bear when you don’t know if you’re going to get laid off the next day you go into work,” Johnson noted.

After years of navigating the industry’s volatility, and in the wake of 9/11, Johnson began to feel a pull toward something more. At 32, she found herself at a crossroads. A passion for working with young people, sparked during “Cold Pizza on Campus” segments and producing a particularly rewarding story about a deaf high school football team in Florida, pointed her in a new direction. She decided it was time for another leap of faith. “I had to pivot. I yearned to be in a career with meaning and purpose,” she explained.

Johnson ended up shadowing two friends who were teachers, immersing herself in the day-to-day realities of the profession. She spent a day with a friend's kindergarten class and another in an art class at a public school in Queens that served many English as a Second Language (ESL) students. “I wanted to truly experience the realities of education,” she said. “I needed to see the legitimate, authentic side of it all.” These experiences solidified her decision.

Johnson moved back to Boston and enrolled in a 16-month accelerated graduate program at Lesley University designed specifically for career changers. Trading a producer’s headset for a student’s backpack, the program placed her in a second-grade classroom on day one, and she immediately knew she had made the right choice. Her extensive technical skills from years in production studios also gave her an unexpected edge, preparing her perfectly for a role as a technology teacher.

After earning her master's degree, Johnson's first foray into teaching was a one-year position as a K-5 technology teacher in Chester, New York. Following a friend’s advice to explore independent schools where her real-world experience would be an asset, she landed a role at Gill St. Bernard’s, an independent, college preparatory school in New Jersey. There, she spent 12 years developing a robust middle school technology and STEM curriculum. Following a move to Maryland, she brought her expertise to St. Paul’s School for Girls.

When the opportunity arose to apply for the STEAM Director position at Notre Dame Prep, it represented another key transition for Johnson: a chance to step into a leadership role and continue to shape a signature program. She was immediately drawn to NDP’s vibrant community, its deep sense of tradition, and its ambitious vision for evolving STEAM.

In her short time at NDP, Johnson’s personal and professional journey has already informed her goals for the students. She sees the school’s Trust and Dare theme as the very essence of a successful STEAM education. “This program offers students an incredible opportunity to be innovative and creative,” Johnson said. “The first step is to just try something new and know that failure and mistakes are all part of the learning process.”

She plans to foster this environment in NDP’s classrooms, particularly through the Middle Level’s non-graded, rotational Innovate & Design Time (IDT) classes. She sees them as a space for girls to explore new interests without the pressure of performance. “As a young person, it's great to have exposure to these specialized classes and to have the dedicated time built right into their schedule.”

For Carrie Johnson, the path to NDP was not linear. It was a series of courageous decisions—to get on a plane to New York, to leave a successful career, to go back to school, and to dedicate her life to educating the next generation of female leaders. She encourages her students to embrace the same spirit. "Take that leap of faith and trust in yourself—you have great friends, classmates, and teachers who are here to support you," she reiterated. With a leader who has so profoundly lived out the school’s 2025–2026 theme of Trust and Dare, the future of STEAM at Notre Dame Prep is not just promising; it's an invitation to dare greatly.