The High Point Legacy: Alumni Spotlight: Caroline Maxwell (Class of ’88)

Welcome to “ The High Point Legacy: Alumni Spotlight,” a series celebrating the lives of Pasadena’s High Point Academy graduates. Alumni will share their journeys, showcasing the transformative impact High Point Academy’s nurturing environment has made on their lives. Each story will provide insights into the values and opportunities that define the HPA experience.

Join us as we celebrate the accomplishments of HPA alumni, revealing the essence of what makes High Point Academy exceptional.  For more information about HPA, please click here.

“I had so many wonderful teachers and experiences at HPA, but I especially cherish all of the opportunities we had to make art, to be creative, and to learn through projects and play.”

My Brief Bio—

I’m currently living in Glendale, CA, with my husband Andi. For the past 17 years, I’ve been a high school teacher at Bridges Academy, a school for Twice-Exceptional students.*  I teach Art and Photography, and I help run an Independent Study program called the “Young Expert Program” where students earn “badges” in different topics of their choice.  I also work with the theater department designing and building sets and props for the stage.

It’s been many years since my time at High Point, and my life has taken me to many places since then.  After attending High Point from K-8, I graduated from Maranatha High School. I went on to earn a Bachelor’s and a Master’s Degree in Art History from Cal State Northridge, followed by an M.F.A. degree from Claremont Graduate University. I spent some of those years studying painting and art history in Italy, and then South Africa, but I returned to Los Angeles to begin teaching. I taught art history for over a decade at Rio Hondo College, plus a few other community colleges in the LA area, but I found my true home at Bridges Academy, and I’ve been there ever since.

One of the biggest highlights of my time teaching at Bridges Academy so far is that I’ve gotten to chaperone groups of students on a number of international trips that I have organized.  I’ve taken students on two-week trips to Vietnam, Italy, Germany, and Poland, and I led them on a week-long backpacking trip in California’s High Sierras.

I still work as an artist, exhibiting and writing about art when I can. I also have continued my life as an athlete, something that I developed as early as my High Point years. I still am a long-distance runner, and I enjoy running the occasional 5k and 10k races. I play soccer in a few local leagues and have found a wonderful community there as well.

My High Point Experience—

High Point is very special to me, as I spent all of my K-8 years there. I can still remember each classroom, teacher, and even where I sat in each room. I haven’t been back to the campus in many years, but the last time I did visit, I was actually surprised at how small everything felt.  When I was a child attending school there, the scale was so different. The playgrounds felt massive, the old eucalyptus tree in front of the school seemed taller than a skyscraper, and the lunch area felt like an endless sea of tables. The flood of memories that came rushing back when I saw the campus again was heartwarming and nostalgic.

My Personal Observations and Reflections—

There are so many things I still remember to this day about High Point, from the songs we learned in French class in the earliest years, to the fun projects and teachers that inspired us every day.  I remember our Greek Olympics and our school plays. I remember when the school got its first set of computers, a row of Apple 2e computers, and I immediately signed up for a computer camp that summer. While I mostly remember the games we played, I remember we learned some simple programming concepts as well. I had so many wonderful teachers and experiences at HPA, but I especially cherish all of the opportunities we had to make art, to be creative and to learn through projects and play.

One of my favorite memories from High Point was being allowed to work on the theater sets for a performance of Hansel and Gretel. We got to build and paint some walls for the witch’s house, and there was something exhilarating about painting something at such a different scale. I remember begging my mother to take me to school over the weekend (which she did!) so I could help finish painting and decorating the set.  Now that I’m working with my own crew of high school theater students, the excitement for building and creating theater environments is still alive!

Another thing I’m always grateful for when I think back to my HPA days is our school’s dedication and support of athletics. It was at High Point where I first discovered my love of running and soccer, and we had a rigorous schedule of Track and Cross-Country meets and games with other schools. Our coaches really encouraged me to run and helped me to see myself as a true athlete. In high school I went on to compete in Track and Cross-Country, placing in CIF and State Finals each year. I still run and play soccer whenever I can, and I really credit High Point for sparking that fire in my earliest years.

* Twice-Exceptional, or 2e, students are children who are both gifted and learning-challenged simultaneously. More information on 2e students: https://childmind.org/article/twice-exceptional-kids-both-gifted-and-challenged/