Many people know Allie Carter as a credential advising team member and office manager in the Office for Student Success. But did you know that millions more people have seen her as a horn player in a viral Rage Against the Machine medley? Find out more fun facts about Allie in this edition of 7 Things You Didn’t Know About Faculty and Staff!
She went to high school in Dover, Ohio, and was part of the Dover Marching Tornadoes, the first high school marching band in Ohio. Her partner is from a similarly tiny town about an hour east of her hometown. They didn’t meet until both were living in San Diego, but were likely at some of the same swim meets in high school (small world!). She definitely misses the Midwest, and if you listen carefully you might hear her say “ope!” or “lemme just squeeze past ya!”
Allie’s absolute favorite animal is otters.
She once had the opportunity to play with river otters at a small zoo in Georgia, and her dream is to swim with sea otters. Her favorite otter fact is that they hold paws while they sleep so they don’t drift apart. She would recommend following the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Shedd Aquarium on social media for adorable otter content.
Allie’s life goal is to watch a baseball game in all 30 MLB parks.
So far, she has been to 13 of them. She is most excited to check out a Boston Red Sox game to see the Green Monster, and a St. Louis Cardinals game to see the panoramic view of the city and the Arch. Her favorites have been Progressive Field in Cleveland (her “home” stadium), Petco Park (the best food and drinks) and Wrigley Field in Chicago (for the iconic architecture).
Allie loves cooking and baking.
She is always reading cookbooks, magazines and blogs to find new recipes to try. Two of her favorite chefs to follow are Carla Lalli Music and Tyler Florence. One of her favorite things to bake is Laura Bush’s recipe for Cowboy Cookies. Those cookies have earned praise such as: “These are better than my mom’s!” and “If I wasn’t already married, I would ask you to marry me because these cookies are that good!”
Allie is a proud PELSA graduate.
She received her Master’s Degree in Postsecondary Educational Leadership with a specialization in Student Affairs in 2017 (Go Aztecs!). Her research was focused on military students and the types of programs and services that help them both transition to, and succeed in, higher education. You can find her thesis, “Success for the Student Veteran,” in the SDSU Library.
Allie is a musician who plays the French horn.
She completed her undergraduate education at George Mason University, just outside Washington D.C. (Go Patriots!). She was part of the legendary Green Machine, the school’s basketball pep band. She traveled with the band and basketball team to many cool places, including Puerto Rico for a pre-season tournament and her old stomping grounds of Cleveland for the NCAA tournament. She is also part of the band’s viral “Rage Against the Machine medley” video on YouTube, which has more than 3 million views!
Allie has shaken the hand of a (future) President.
When former President Barack Obama was still a Senator and on the campaign trail for President, Allie and her best friend from high school were invited to sit on stage during his remarks at a rally in Akron, Ohio. They even had the opportunity to meet him and shake his hand, and he thanked them for participating in the democratic process as first-time voters.
How Allie is making a difference in the College of Education:
“I have wanted to work in higher education since I was an undergraduate student and realised that student affairs was a career path I could pursue. I have always loved being a part of students’ college experiences. In the College of Education Office for Student Success, I have the opportunity to work with students in different phases of their college experience. Some students are working on admission to our programs, some are navigating campus life as current students and some are preparing to graduate and make a positive impact in their community. I especially love working with our teaching credential students, as I know they are going to make a difference in hundreds or even thousands of lives throughout their teaching careers — and I get to be a part of making that happen. My goal when I come into the office each day is to help as many students as possible.”