Everyone has a story to tell, and in the case of Carla Kettner, there are more than a few. A Grade 9, 1972 CHS graduate, Carla’s passion for writing started the moment she could pick up a pencil. Her passion for the written arts has led her to become an accomplished television writer and producer. Currently, she lives in Los Angeles, California, with her husband, producer-director David Solomon. Her daughter Remy has followed in her footsteps and is currently writing for a new Netflix drama.
Carla’s memories of CHS remain fond, mostly because of the personal investment the teachers showed. In Grade 4, Carla remembers a card from Mrs. Irene Miller in which she complimented her writing and said she believed Carla could become a professional writer. “Now, it’s very possible that Mrs. Miller wrote that to two or three hundred kids over the course of time,” Carla shares, “but I can’t tell you how often in my career I’ve reminded myself that Mrs. Miller was a smart lady, and therefore I must not suck.”
Her career has had many noteworthy accomplishments. Her credits include showrunner and executive producer on multiple hit shows, including The Blacklist, Bones, Panhandle, and Alert, as well as writing and producing hundreds of hours of network television dramas. The key to her success is the work ethic and love of storytelling instilled by her early teachers at CHS.
Her identity was fundamentally shaped through her time at CHS. Carla wonderfully describes this in her reflection of her school experience, “What defines a school isn’t the bricks and mortar and beautiful (or not so beautiful) facilities. What defines a school are the teachers. How much they do or don’t care. How much they do or don’t give.”
Carla credits CHS with providing the encouragement she needed to believe in her dreams. “To me, most of my teachers cared a lot and gave even more,” Carla says. It takes passion to see passion. And for Carla, the CHS school community influenced her childhood and many successes she has enjoyed throughout life.