Looking to the future and thanking people along the way is the work of Dawn Carroll, a songwriter, producer and designer who grew up in Lincoln.
Carroll is celebrating the five-year anniversary of the foundation she started that rewards mentors and highlights their role in career success. The Over My Shoulder Foundation is run out of an office in Everett, where Carroll has a second full-time job as a designer for the Cumar Marble and Granite Company.
Carroll cites teachers at Lincoln-Sudbury High School for allowing her creative juices to develop.
“I was more creative than I was studious,” she said.
Teachers in both her English and arts classes inspired her to pursue her career path in songwriting and production. The word “mentor” was not part of her vocabulary yet, but she was appreciative of those who helped her define her career path. One person she worked for early on was Yolanda Cellucci, the high-fashion dress designer who taught Carroll about running a business and event production.
Carroll attended Berklee College of Music for a year-and-a-half before moving to Los Angeles. Once again, Carroll met an influential mentor, the folk singer Patti Austin.