You’re walking into class and a feeling that you forgot to do something creeps upon you. Quickly, you check your backpack, but it’s full, with your books and computer stuffed alongside your lunchbox. You even remembered a computer charger, which you never bring. Accepting that your mind was playing tricks on you, you slide into your seat. Suddenly, a voice booms over the loudspeaker, reminding you to buy tickets to The Crucible. It all comes back to you—you promised your friend you’d buy tickets. You mouth a silent thank you towards the disembodied voice, finally feeling relieved.
Many recognize the famous voice of Carson Knowles, the morning announcer who has added her own spice to the role. At the end of each announcement, she adds an alliteration aligning to that day. But it’s not just her creativity that makes her stand out: Her positive attitude starts people’s days off on the right note.
“I try my best to keep [the announcements] entertaining … [and] I want to allow people to feel good in the mornings,” Knowles said.
Knowles approached Principal Kevin Clark back in the winter of 2023, requesting that students take over the morning announcements again. Clark agreed, and Knowles got to work right away. Over the past year, Knowles’ new daily routine has connected her with different people all over the school.
“I love the community I’ve built with the people in the office…. Last year, there was a regular substitute that would give me high fives every time he would come in,” Knowles said.
Knowles has not only built a fanbase among the office’s administration, but also among students and teachers. Everyday, people stop her in the hallways, and some students have even placed bets on what adjective she will use that day. Others will personally request specific adjectives. Knowles loves creating a sense of community and spirit and wants others to do the same.
“To me, when a student gets involved in something like the morning announcements, it makes it feel like a real school,” Knowles said.
Over the speaker, it may seem like Knowles is a one woman show, but her daily two-minute monologues are a combination of herself, students and our school’s community. Recently, Knowles has been continuously reminding students to buy our theater department’s The Crucible tickets. September was Hispanic Heritage Month, and every morning, a member of Latinas Leading Tomorrow would join Knowles and teach students about the history of the month.
“I love the collaboration. People come up to me, and … they want their ideas in [the announcements], and I’m glad to put them in,” Knowles said.
While this will be Knowles’ final year as our school’s morning announcer, she looks to continue her passion in college.
“If there’s an opportunity to do radio, I’d love [to do] it…. It’s not serious, you know, it’s just a good time,” Knowles said.
The lightheartedness of the morning announcements has made it one of Knowles’ favorite parts of the day. Every morning, she comes in, sits at her own desk and chair in the office, reads through the script, makes the announcement and then grabs her already-made late slip on her way to class. Her simple yet meticulous routine brightens everyone’s mornings. While next year’s morning announcements are uncertain, Knowles hopes that students will still continue to run them, even though they’ll have to fill some pretty big shoes.
“I think whoever does it next year will be great. I love that now, people will be thinking about it,” Knowles said.
The impact Knowles has had on Yorktown is undeniable and will continue to be felt, even after she has left. Thanks to her, students are encouraged to step up and take key leadership roles at our school.
