News

From Shakespeare at NSCD to songwriting in Washington, Caroline Rex-Waller ’05 blends storytelling and community as Executive Director of DocSong. Caroline answered a few questions about her favorite NSCD memories and life after North Shore. Keep reading to catch up on her creative journey, favorite NSCD memories (including a legendary turnabout outfit), and how life with two kids and a mountain bike keeps her on her toes.

Bio and current update: 
Hometown: Wenatchee, WA
University: Smith College
Occupation: Executive Director; DocSong

I’m the executive director of a small arts nonprofit called DocSong that works with communities to transform personal stories into songs with the goal of using music and storytelling as a way to counteract divisive rhetoric and build empathy. I also do some freelance writing. I spend most of my days parenting our two kids, Charlie (6) and Mabel (3), but since moving to Wenatchee, I also have more time to ski, trail run, and have picked up mountain biking!

What is your favorite NSCD memory?
One of my favorite memories is going to the turnabout dance with my now husband, John, and dressing as each other. I wore baggy pants and a band tee, while John wore a skirt and tube top. When we rolled in, he got dress coded by Lynsey Wollin-Casey for wearing a tube top. (No double standards there!), and she made him change.

Also, all of the Shakespeare plays! But especially A Tempest, when I played Ariel opposite my older brother who played Caliban. 

Who are your most memorable teachers and why?
Lynsey Wollin-Casey, Drea Gallaga, and Frank Dachille had a huge impact on who I’ve become as a person. Their classes always felt bigger than the content we were studying, and they became my go-to people when I needed advice or had a problem. It was a joy to have all of them at our wedding when John and I got married in 2017. I also am so grateful to Kathy McHugh, who was a mentor to me when I became an English teacher and was thinking through curriculum for the first time. She was so encouraging and offered countless resources. 

What do you miss most about NSCD?
I miss seeing so many of my friends in their element on a regular basis, whether it be playing sports, or on stage, or performing at P.I.L.L.O.W.S, and getting to celebrate their wins alongside them.