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Mother and daughter embark on education degrees together

 Hearts for education

Lindsay Kidd ’11, M.A.Ed. ’12 is returning to the School of Education this fall to pursue her third degree from William & Mary, a Ph.D. in K-12 Leadership. This time, though, one of her fellow students is her own mother, Trish Caroccia, who started this summer as a master’s student in Science Education.

“It’s been a bit of a role reversal, since she’s always been the one to offer advice as a parent,” says Kidd. “Now, I have the opportunity to return that favor in a small way as she navigates the School of Education and her program.”

Both have devoted their lives to education. After earning her teaching degree at W&M, Kidd spent six years teaching in Newport News Public Schools and is now starting her second year as an assistant principal in the division.

Caroccia was a stay-at-home mother until her children had all left the nest. “When my youngest daughter went to college, so did I,” she says. She’s completing a master’s degree in Ocean and Earth Sciences at ODU, and her experience as a TA solidified her desire to become a teacher. As a Noyce Scholar at William & Mary, she’ll benefit from scholarship support and special programming in exchange for promising to teach science in a high-needs school for two years.

“One of the reasons that I chose William & Mary was that I saw the wonderful education and opportunities that my daughter received as a graduate of the School of Education,” says Caroccia. “But with my background in science and research, I was also drawn to the strength of the research culture here.”

Caroccia has been encouraging her daughter’s ambitions in education from a very early age. “My mom bought me so many teaching supplies throughout the years that I had enough stickers, pointers, and chalk to stock my classroom before ever being offered a job,” says Kidd. “I’m grateful for the support I’ve had from my family to pursue my passion for this field.”

After earning her doctorate, Kidd hopes to seek a professor position teaching classroom management and community relations to aspiring teachers. “Just as I get to do now in my position as an assistant principal, I enjoy working with teachers to build capacity. I look forward to the opportunity to inspire future teachers before they step into their own classrooms.”

Her mother shares that inspiration, and plans to teach middle- or high-school science after earning her teaching degree. “It’s wonderful to be able to share this incredible experience at the School of Education with my daughter,” says Caroccia.