What is your full name?
Amy Kirkland-Carroll

What is your profession?
Executive Director at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Clarksville, a non-profit mentoring organization.

Where are you from originally?
I am a native Clarksvillian, I was born and raised here in the Woodlawn community.

How long have you been in Clarksville? What brought you to Clarksville?
My entire life. My family is here and I just stayed here.

Tell us about your family.
I am the middle child of three children and lived up to my stereotype as a middle child. I have wonderful parents who pushed all of us to excel at anything we attempted. My parents are Don and Jeanette Kirkland. I also have a great extended family of aunts, uncles, cousins and in-laws. I am married to Roger Carroll (we celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary in July.) I have one daughter, Emily, who is almost 18 and a senior in Middle College at APSU. My other babies include three pit bulls, Leroy, Rex, and Roscoe. We also have Shaggy the wonder dog and four cats. Recently our family started fostering animals looking for their furever home through Montgomery County Friends of the Shelter.

What do you like most about Clarksville?
I love the community in which I live and work. We have a very giving and patriotic group of people in Clarksville. I am very proud of our military that give up so much for our freedom. I am also proud of how giving our community is. If there is a need, the people of this community come together to see that the need is somehow met.

If you could have any other profession/dream job what would it be?
I think I am in it at Big Brothers Big Sisters. I love the fact that my profession allows me the opportunity to work with kids who need a positive role model to impact their future and our agency makes that happen for the kids in this community. My only regret is we can’t serve all the kids who need and want a mentor.

What is your favorite meal?
If given the choice, good country cooking with green beans, fried okra, potatoes and homemade biscuits and sweat tea. My mom makes the best biscuits ever!

What is the easiest and most difficult part of your job every day?
The easiest part of my job is working with our volunteers and children. I love hearing their stories and ideas for what they are going to do or have done on their outings as a “match” with Big Brothers Big Sisters. The hardest part is raising funds necessary to fund our programs. I am independent and asking people for things is tough for me, but I have gotten very well at it.

What do you drive?
I drive a Ford Flex and LOVE it!

What’s your favorite movie or TV show?
My favorite show is Grey’s Anatomy. I also love N.C.I.S.

Who do you look up too? Who is your role model?
I have always looked up to my mom. She is a classy woman who has always been kind to others and who will do anything to help another person. One of my first supervisors at Department of Children’s Services, Ameila B. Wallace, taught me so much during my tenure working at Children’s Services. She is a woman who knows how to get things done and helped me learn from many mistakes I made as a young, inexperienced case manager. She always gave advise on how to correct mistakes in a way that helped me grow as a person and professionally.

What has been the toughest challenge you’ve had to overcome in your life?
Believe it or not, there was a time when I could not stand in front of a group of people and give a speech or talk. I have gotten a lot of practice with my position at Big Brothers Big Sisters and have no problems speaking now.

What do you hope to be doing 10 years from now? How would you like your life to look 10 years from now?
I want to continue to be working with kids in some capacity. I hope I am still making a difference with Big Brothers Big Sisters. I hope my life looks much the same as it does today, but better.

Have you ever been issued a speeding ticket?
I have had a few when I was much younger. My husband is a police officer and frowns upon my heavy foot.

Why did you choose your current profession?
I love kids and love working with them. Being in a profession where I can affect their future in a positive way makes it a win/win for everyone involved.

Where did you go to school and what did you study?
I graduated from Austin Peay with a degree in Political Science and a minor in Sociology. I had aspirations of becoming an attorney and then a judge. I begun working with children and found that is was the best fit for me.

When and to where was your last vacation?
I don’t really take vacations per say. My daughter is a competitive cheerleader and many of our trips revolve around where her next competition is. My favorite places to visit are the Great Smoky Mountains (not Gatlinburg) and the beach. Luckily, her cheer schedule takes us to both those places at least once a year.

What is your favorite pastime or hobby?
I love being outdoors, enjoying the beauty of the trees, wildlife and nature and working with our zoo of pets, most of which are rescues and have areas in which they need to work.

What advice can you give others juggling a family and career?
Always make time for your family and be a good example as a parent. Your children practice what they see you doing as a parent. I am fortunate that I have a flexible job in which I can juggle and schedule activities for work and family around each other. I am fortunate that my family supports my career and understands the importance of helping kids reach their full potential. Both my husband and daughter help with our special events and with fundraising events for Big Brothers Big Sisters. It is not something that I have to ask them to do, but they volunteer to do it anyway.

How do you start your day?
With a Diet Dr. Pepper and in a hurry because I frequently hit the snooze button multiple times before I hit the floor running.

What are you passionate about in life?
I am passionate about kids in general, especially for kids who need a voice and someone to look out for them. I worked in Children’s Services for several years and have always been passionate about taking care of children’s needs. I also have a soft spot for animals and have rescued many stray animals in my life.

What is something most Clarksvillians wouldn’t know about you?
I was a huge tomboy growing up. I lived in the country, climbed trees, played sports, rode pigs (yes, real live pigs) and worked in the tobacco fields. Bugs and critters don’t bother me and I don’t mind getting dirty.

If you could leave one message to the Clarksville community what would it be?
Always give back. We often get stuck feeling sorry for ourselves. When that happens, look around and you will find that there are many others who have struggles that are much worse than what you are dealing with. If you haven’t done something to help another person during your day, your day doesn’t count as productive.




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