From developmental education to The Honors College, Dr. Kimberly Carter has helped Miami Dade College students across the academic spectrum reach their full potential while inspiring them to reach back and lift up others along the way.
Throughout her 17 years at MDC, Dr. Carter has promoted global citizenship through co-curricular experiences that draw students into reading and writing through service learning and civic engagement. Whether researching local nonprofits or actively volunteering for agencies, Dr. Carter’s students learn to flex their changemaking muscles while exercising the higher-order thinking skills they need to comprehend complex texts – and the world around them.
“It’s about bridging the gap to get students to think critically, connect to the reading and care for their communities,” said Dr. Carter, who serves as a lead faculty member for The Honors College at North Campus. “I ask my students to identify a problem in their community and determine what they can potentially do to alleviate it or work as a team to solve it.”
Holding a master’s degree in reading and a doctorate in organizational leadership from Nova Southeastern University, Dr. Carter was among the inaugural awardees of MDC’s President’s Innovation Fund for collaborative, interdisciplinary work that has resulted in workshops providing faculty of any disciplines plug-and-play materials they can use to support academic reading.
“She possesses a profound overarching knowledge of curriculum that impacts not only her teaching and students’ learning but propels strategic planning, college-wide initiatives, and co-curricular activities with her visionary insight and expertise,” said Dr. Marina Rodriguez, an associate professor at MDC. “Ultimately, student success is the heart of all she does.”
Through her community-oriented approach to learning, Dr. Carter and her students have contributed approximately 2,000 hours of community service over the past six years.
“Our motto is ‘As I climb, I pull others with me,’” said Dr. Carter, “That is how we want to see our world.”