Atlanta BookPAL, Carolyn Ellis, Honored As BookPAL of the Month for May 2008!

Thursday, May 22 2008 @ 12:17 PM EDT

Carolyn Ellis, Atlanta BookPAL Since 2005

Please join me in congratulating Ms. Carolyn Ellis for her dedication to the BookPALS Program since 2005. Carolyn reads every Wednesday to third and fifth-grade students at Love T. Nolan Elementary School in College Park, Georgia.

Ms. Chandra D. Lemons, Principal of Love T. Nolan, says, "Carolyn is such an asset to Love T. Nolan! The students really look forward to seeing her when she comes to the school, as she adds so much to our literacy program. I look forward to working with her this upcoming school year!"

Carolyn Jones Ellis left Detroit, Michigan in 1974 working as a National Bank of Detroit teller for training with First Atlanta Bank. Assigned to Atlanta Airport branch, she worked four months as foreign currency teller and was approached by a customer who was a Delta Airlines Flight Attendant interviewer. Carolyn was hired, trained and began ‘Flying the Friendly Skies.’ An International Flight Attendant for 17 years, she traveled the world until diagnosed in 1991 with multiple brain aneurysms on both left and right sides, abruptly ending in-flight career.

The single parent of an 11-year-old son, Carolyn survived two brain surgeries disabling memory, speech and thinking. Initially after the surgeries, with swollen brain, speaking one word at a time, with thinking difficulty, she began memorizing one poem and took a one-day acting class at Alliance Theatre “Anyone Can Act.”

Carolyn's first memorized poem was delivered for an audition with first talent agent and was signed.

The next two acting classes were simultaneous with Afemo & Elizabeth Omilami and Jim Benton, memorizing and scene study were therapy. Acting has become a career due to double brain surgery and print model work developed with a second talent agent signing.

Auditioning is a challenge and a joy. Acting jobs have included community theatre, television, independent film and commercials, especially The United Method Church “I Believe,” shot in 2001, featured during the September 11th tragedy and again featured through the Hurricane Katrina coverage.

"BookPALS has been a rewarding experience to capture third and fifth-grade students’ attention and to anticipate our weekly appointments. It is amazing to see the potential in children and to give a little confidence where it is needed. It gets better every year! Carolyn Ellis"

BookPALS
http://www.bookpals.net/content/article.php?story=20080602115235988