Reflections from Alum Shea Booth '20 and Alum Parent Dr. Mary Kate McGowan

Four years after graduating from Carroll, Shea Booth ’20—who attended the Upper School from mid-8th grade through 9th grade—and his mom, Dr. Mary Kate McGowan, reflect on his short but transformative time at the school.

S: Right now I’m taking a gap year. I’m considering an entrepreneurial path, so I’m working for a company selling solar panels door-to-door to learn sales skills. The summer before last, I started my own business helping people get rid of their couches, refurbishing, and reselling them. I was the couch guy.

MK: You rented a storage unit and kept track of your time, mileage, and costs. You had a whole spreadsheet. Your ADHD gives you the ability to hyper-focus, and you have channeled that focus.

S: I don’t think it’s a coincidence that so many dyslexic people are entrepreneurs. When you grow up dyslexic you learn to think outside the box, you find creative solutions, you take risks. My entrepreneurial interest was there before Carroll, but getting my self-esteem back allowed me to use it. Without confidence, taking risks is extremely difficult.

MK: I noticed how your lack of self-confidence affected your ability to work hard at something, your comfort around peers, and your interest in athletics. All of that came back when you got to Carroll.

S: And when I got to high school [St. Andrews School in Barrington, Rhode Island], I was more socially inclined because I felt more confident. I gradually needed less and less academic support. I was using my skills. I had made it a habit to shut down and not pay attention in school. It was self-protection from failure. But Carroll brought back my respect and trust for teachers.

MK: I feel like I got my son back at Carroll. You were this enthusiastic, happy, “I can do anything” kid and then all of a sudden you weren’t. I thought you had just grown up, but then you got to Carroll and it all came back. If you hadn’t gone to Carroll, where do you think you’d be?

S: I would have either ended up in jail or with extreme achievement. I don’t think there would have been an in-between. Carroll saved my life.

MK: You look at kids with untreated ADHD and dyslexia and the statistics of underemployment, mental illness, incarceration, and self-medication are high. You really loved and appreciated Carroll.

S: Yeah. Carroll doesn’t just do one thing right. They do a million things right.

MK: You learned how your brain works at Carroll, and that’s a very empowering thing to know.

S: I think having dyslexia allowed me to take a step back and figure out what I want. If I didn’t have the experiences in school that I had, I would probably be on autopilot, feeling like college is the next step. But now I can really look at the benefits of different paths, and college is up in the air.

MK: I’m excited about how happy, motivated, and confident you are. I’m not 100% comfortable with no college, but you’re up early and at the gym, you’re making your sales numbers, working long hours, and you have plans for the future.

S: I’m enjoying the path I’m on now. It fits more congruently with what I want. And it’s going to be exciting to eventually start my own business, build something I’m proud of. It feels like things are going in the right direction.

Excerpt from Shea’s College Application Essay

What happened next saved my life: the Carroll School, a school specifically for dyslexics. In the middle of eighth grade I arrived. The school focused on what I hated most: reading and writing. It was hard, and I struggled. I had never worked so hard in my life but it had never been so worth it. My time at Carroll rewired my brain; it strengthened my cognitive weaknesses; it made me an effective learning machine. Fortunately for me, Carroll is all about neuroplasticity. Those few months completely changed my life; it changed my brain, my mental health, and my performance. I owe so much to Carroll and I am forever grateful.

Did you write about Carroll in a college application? We’d love to read it. Email essays to mmcnulty@carrollschool.org.

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