Former figure skating pro and singer leads high school choir

Call it the optimism of youth, but Laura Carreon is taking her first year teaching as Liberty High School’s choir director in stride.

It can be daunting to be the new teacher, especially when the last teacher retired after three decades of building a successful program. Carreon, thrilled to land a job with the well-regarded choir right out of college, is keeping many of the schools traditions while slowly adding a few of her own.

“I knew what I wanted to do and I knew I could do it,” said the 30-year-old former competitive figure skater and singer. “It’s probably the best transition I could have hoped for.”          

Carreon, who had worked part time at Heritage High School as an accompanist and vocal director for musicals, took time to learn how former Liberty choir director Sue Stuart did things. She added she has great respect for Stuart’s accomplishments in growing an award-winning choir.

“This program is so well-established,” she said, noting she is “keeping it familiar” this year.