Carolyn (Erickson) Bennett was raised in a large family and attended both private and public schools in Lake Stevens, WA.  At a very young age she had a passion for education as she often took on the role of "teacher" with her young siblings.  Having a love and respect for formal education ran deep in the family as a number of family members became career educators including her Grandfather, Donald D. Oates who served as the Superintendent of Lake Stevens School District from 1957- 1974.  Carolyn is a third generation LSHS graduate, furthered her education at Edmonds Community College, UW Bothell, and also served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1989-1996.  She and her husband Jerry (also a former Marine) decided to raise their family in Lake Stevens knowing their children would attend great schools here (their son is now a 4th generation LSHS graduate and their daughter is set to graduate in 2023).  Carolyn recently began her 20th year in customer service/project management for a leading valve manufacturer (DeZURIK) in Redmond.  She has volunteered extensively throughout the past two decades with Lake Stevens schools, her church, and currently serves on the Lake Stevens Salary Commission and Snohomish County Human Rights Commission.  Hobbies include running/walking (anything outdoors), spending time with family and friends, traveling, cooking and writing.  Carolyn feels incredibly blessed and grateful to have the opportunity to run for office and looks forward to a successful campaign season.