When Linda Suzanne Mason was young, she loved participating in sports with her brother and the other boys in her neighborhood. She also really valued education, thanks to the influence of her parents. This made becoming a physical education teacher a natural choice; it combined both of her passions into one career. To help her achieve her goals, she earned a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science from Indiana University in 1968 and 1977, respectively, as well as certification as a physical education teacher for grades K-12 in the state of Indiana.
Degrees in hand, Ms. Mason set out to make her mark on the field. Her first professional position was physical education teacher at Woodview Junior High School in Indiana, followed by physical education teacher and coach at IUPUI, basketball coach at Butler University, and head softball coach and assistant basketball coach at Westfield Washington High School. Then, in 1985, Ms. Mason joined Carmel-Clay Schools and really felt at home. She stayed within the district in roles like physical education teacher and basketball coach at Orchard Park Elementary School and head varsity softball coach at Carmel High School for the remainder of her career. She stepped down in 2011.
As a testament to her hard work and dedication, Ms. Mason was named to the Butler University Athletic Hall of Fame and was named Softball Coach of the Year by the ICGSA. She was also named Coach of the Year for District 4 of the NCAA. Although Ms. Mason is proud of all of her accolades, however, she is most proud of the impact she had on her students. She was always willing to help anyone who needed it and she strove to make her classes fun and beneficial, which the kids really appreciated. She loves getting recognized by former students in the community because it means that she made a difference in their lives.
Now that Ms. Mason is retired, the most important thing to her is spending time with her family. She has two children, two grandchildren, and two dogs. She also takes efforts to stay active by playing golf.