Carolyn Thiessen graduated with a BA in languages from Duke University and Masters in Spanish from Middlebury. This prepared her for a career as a Spanish teacher at San Ramon Valley High School and Diablo Valley Community College. Volunteerism has always been important to Carolyn and she has worked in that capacity as a hospital volunteer and translator, a teacher of adult literacy and a museum docent. She leads history tours of the pioneer Alamo Cemetery in Danville. She is a Rotarian and has gone on several humanitarian projects overseas with the Rotary. She is married and has three adult children.