Carol Daynard,  Diploma ’09, had a full career in education. Now, she’s fulfilling her artistic vision.

As assistant superintendent of schools for Newton, Mass., Carol Daynard oversaw services for 11,000 students. “I handled all those things people don’t like to deal with,” Daynard explains. “From crisis management to kids in trouble to upset parents.”

It was a challenging job, and one that demanded creativity. “The more creative I was, the more fun I had,” she notes.

Now that she’s retired, the high-powered educator has a new focus for her creative energies. As a Studio Diploma student, she’s reconnecting with her lifelong love for art.

“I was an art history major as an undergraduate,” Daynard says. “But it was clear I wasn’t going to be able to support myself as artist, so I had to find something else to do. But I always knew that when I had more time, I would want to do more with art.”

At the Museum School, Daynard appreciates the flexibility of the Studio Diploma Program, an all-elective program that allows students to shape their own curricula. “Every semester I try something new,” she says. “I’m going to take video next. I never would have dreamed of doing something like that. And someone suggested I do performance, too.”

Daynard plans to set up a studio in Boston when she completes her degree. In the meantime, she’s continuing to explore new styles and media in her new role as an artist. “In some ways, this is getting back to me,” she says. “I’m reconnecting to myself, and creating a new life that’s more arts-focused.”