For Amanda Carpenter, teaching isn’t just a career — it’s a calling rooted in compassion, creativity and community.

Carpenter, a 1994 graduate of Drew Central High School, grew up in Monticello surrounded by family and educators who encouraged her to always do her best. After earning a bachelor’s degree in special education from the University of Arkansas at Monticello in 1999, she began her career teaching at what is now Crossett Middle School, where she spent 10 years before moving to the Centers for Youth and Families in Monticello.

In 2019, Carpenter joined Monticello High School as a special education teacher — a move that would spark an idea changing the lives of her students.

When she arrived at MHS, Carpenter saw an opportunity to help students with special needs gain real-world experience. With the school’s existing “point of sale” system — the same used by local retailers — she created a student-run spirit store now known as the Happy Goat Store.

What started with two donated Cricut machines and a few YouTube tutorials has grown into a thriving, student-operated business. Partnering with Arkansas Rehabilitation Services (ARS) through its Working for Independence Now (WIN) program, Carpenter helped secure startup funding and wages for students learning job skills during and after school.

“The WIN program allows our students to gain work experience, learn responsibility and prepare for independence,” Carpenter said. “It’s about helping them see what they’re capable of.”

The store began by selling socks, later adding bottled water, gum, drinks, shirts, hats and other spirit items. Today, it’s a fully functioning enterprise that gives students hands-on experience in customer service, money management, inventory and design.

One former student now uses the crafting skills learned in Carpenter’s class to make and sell custom items while attending college.

Inside Carpenter’s classroom, students have access to a washer and dryer, a kitchen, and heat presses for creating apparel. They learn to operate the POS system in training mode — preparing them for jobs beyond the classroom. All profits go back into the store to purchase new materials and products.

The success of the Happy Goat Store has reached beyond Monticello. The Arkansas LEA Academy ordered shirts for its state convention, and other schools have visited MHS to learn from Carpenter’s model.

Recently, Carpenter began collaborating with Seamless Transition for Arkansas (STAR), a statewide initiative supported by a $10 million grant to expand transition programs across South Arkansas. The goal is to build partnerships with local businesses so students can train and work in the community — and potentially continue employment after graduation.

Carpenter even presented alongside the STAR team at a national conference in Denver, sharing Monticello’s story of innovation and inclusion.

Outside the classroom, Carpenter enjoys reading and crafting — hobbies that often inspire new ideas for her students’ projects. She’s an active member of the Council for Exceptional Children and the Division on Career Development and Transition.

Currently pursuing her master’s degree and certification in Transitions from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Carpenter considers that ongoing education one of her greatest personal accomplishments.

But for her, the real reward lies in her students’ success.

“The most rewarding part of my job is seeing the kids succeed,” Carpenter said. “I love knowing that what they’re learning now will help them one day come back and take care of us.”

For Amanda Carpenter, Monticello isn’t just home — it’s where she’s helping build a future for generations to come.