Our Spotlight member for December is Carrie Frye. Throughout all time, and across the world, there are people who transform lives. Yet, most people never recognize their names or know anything about them personally. People like Ismail al-Jazari, who invented the alarm clock; Chairil Anwar who transformed the Indonesian language and wrote the poem “Aku” (Me), a poem about resilience and confronting life’s challenges head on, and Lee Byung-Chull, the creator of Samsung, a brand almost every household has used - whether it is a Smart TV, a phone, a helicopter engine, a toilet seat, or an ultrasound machine. These contributions to the world are results of people that no one could name, even in a simple trivia game.
Delta Kappa Gamma is filled with women like these, women who transform lives, who confront challenges head-on and who we as members should know by name. The DKG Spotlight Recognition allows for like-minded women who devote their lives to uniting and honoring women educators to elevate one of their own. The final month of 2025, December, shines the DKG spotlight on Carrie Frye, who is a beacon for education, women, and empowerment. Her contributions deserve the Spotlight of the International Society, even if she never seeks the limelight or positions herself to be praised.
Carrie’s remarkable journey started well before she was inducted into Delta Kappa Gamma in 1994. The strength of Carrie Frye has always been present, but one story epitomizes her love, devotion and character. As a new bride, Carrie tragically lost her mother before her mom was even 50. Carrie was the oldest of multiple siblings, three who were in elementary school. She and her new husband made the decision to take the three youngest and raise them as their own. While most new brides were selecting china and picking wallpaper, Carrie was devoting herself to raising her siblings.
Carrie spent 48 years in a position as a teacher, consultant, primary specialist, assistant principal and guidance counselor. The influence of her life cannot be measured, for as Henry Adams stated, “Teachers affect eternity; no one can tell where their influence stops.”
Carrie devoted the last 20 years of her 48-year career to offering guidance to children in Seminole County, Florida, North of Orlando, but her contribution to education during those years expanded beyond her office. She prepared monthly parent workshops, created curriculum for school resource officers, and she wrote multiple grants to fund “drop-out” prevention programs, which she developed and piloted.
Prior to that she served a decade as the Elementary Curriculum Specialist, establishing a school wide publishing lab and coordinating a district-wide Young Author’s Conference. Carrie also developed annual parent “Make and Take” workshops and designed an enrichment program for K-2 with a focus on drama.
In the early 80’s, Carrie’s influence expanded beyond the United States, serving as the Assistant Principal of an American school in Saudi Arabia. Creativity is almost synonymous with Carrie Frye. While serving students in Saudi Arabia, she wrote programs, designed floor plans, staffed a day-care and implemented a lunchtime reading program to benefit both students who needed added support and teachers who needed some release time. Knowing the research of brain development, she increased the visibility of the fine arts program. As a consultant for the school prior to being the assistant principal, she organized an annual overnight campout at a desert oasis for almost 200 third grade students and chaperones, and her creativity flourished in the science-related activities and meals she developed and arranged. The activity book she wrote gave the 8 year olds an opportunity to explore the Red Sea, an oasis and the desert.
In the 60’s, Carrie served as the assistant director of the Army Education Center in Korat, Thailand. It was in Thailand that Carrie wrote curriculum and hired teachers for American military men preparing for their GED, again putting action into her endeavors to bring honor and to educate all.
The first years of Carrie’s teaching career provided her foundation, teaching in Colorado, Florida, Georgia and Missouri.
As an educator she is a gift to all who know her, and Delta Kappa Gamma is incredibly blessed to have her as a member. Just as she devoted her life to every aspect of education, she has also devoted her life to Delta Kappa Gamma. She is a force; a beacon; and a woman who epitomizes the 7 purposes of Delta Kappa Gamma. She has given over 30 years to DKG, all because an incredible principal, of whom Carrie esteems so highly, sponsored her, and Carrie knew DKG must be authentic and worthwhile if she were a member. She leads by example, and she reaches in to find the finest members to continue the legacy of almost a century. Carrie is one who would receive a “thank you” from the founders for carrying forward the mission established in Austin, Texas almost 100 years ago.
As a chapter member, Carrie focused her energy on serving in every office of Beta Chi and to build membership through recruitment, and to retain membership by developing chapter leaders. She has never neglected the roots of her own chapter. Because of her “one of a kind” charisma, she was developed as a state leader for Florida. She served on several state-level committees, and she was chair of the Professional Development Committee. She has served Florida as 2nd Vice President, 1st Vice President, and President. Carrie is active in legislative advocacy. She knows every nook and cranny of the Florida Capitol and has a grace and charm to get into just about every office she approaches. Dr. Vivian Posey, Chair of the Florida Legislative Committee and active member of the U.S. Forum stated, “Carrie is fearless and undaunted by any challenge she encounters. She has an uncanny ability to make everyone feel important and can do more and be more than they ever imagined”.
Carrie has served at the Delta Kappa Gamma International level on the membership committee and the 2020-2024 Nominating Committee. She was the Steering Committee Chair for the SE Regional Conference held at the Orlando Gaylord. She has also been the DKG US Forum Representative. She has served as the FL State Organization Executive Secretary since 2015, and she has actively contributed to the Founding Board of Florida SO Educational Foundation.
Just as the gentlemen in the introduction have impacted the world, Carrie Frye has been a transformer world-wide. She has devoted her life to improving the learning of her siblings, her students, parents, service men and women around the world, Florida Retired Educators Association and Delta Kappa Gamma. Carrie is a selfless influence in the field of education and the hearts of DKG members. Nancy Marmesh, State President of Florida DKG, reiterates this in her words, “Carrie Frye is a true force in DKG. She is knowledgeable and supportive at all levels. Carrie is a pleasure to work with as a mentor and a friend”.
It is easy to see why Carrie Frye has been selected as the December 2025 Spotlight recipient.
Congratulations on your International Spotlight, and thank you for being one of the most dynamic beacons of Delta Kappa Gamma.