Carlsbad Women Explore How Caring for Oneself Strengthens the City

By R. Gabriel Villalobos

A room full of women gathered this month for a community forum hosted by Women for a Better Carlsbad, a monthly meeting series that connects local women with policymakers and leaders shaping the city’s social landscape.

The evening featured three speakers from distinctly different spheres: school board director Clancey McMillan, Sodality Foundation founder Ashly Key, and aligned energy healer Shawna Hicks. Together, they addressed teacher retention, first responder mental health, and the often-overlooked necessity of self-care.

McMillan, the Carlsbad Municipal School Board director, opened the discussion with promising news about the district’s efforts to address a statewide teacher shortage.

“We just don’t have as many people going into education anymore as we used to,” McMillan said. “A large bulk of the teachers that we do have are starting to hit retirement age, and we’re just not replacing them at the same pace.”

She echoed what she has been hearing from parents: “Don’t take our good, qualified teachers out of the classroom and move them to Central Office. So, what can we do? We give them a way that they can lead where they are.”

The model places excellent teachers in “multi-classroom leader” roles, where they oversee teams of less-experienced educators without leaving the classroom.

Early results are promising. Schools using the model have seen student test scores rise significantly, and district officials expect several campuses to become “spotlight schools” for the state.

McMillan also urged parents to get involved directly.

“Come to board meetings. We don’t always have many people show up, and that’s where the discussions happen,” she said. “Contact your board members directly. Our email addresses are available on the district website. We are all very approachable.”

She closed by reminding parents that children mirror their attitudes toward education.

“If you are speaking highly about their teachers and their schools and the importance of education, that’s how they’re going to view it,” McMillan said. “You set the tone for how your kids view education in your home.”

Ashly Key, founder of the Sodality Foundation, shifted the focus to first responders. She shared how watching her brother, a police officer in small-town Idaho, struggle without mental health resources inspired her to act.

“My brother waited three months to get the support that he needed because his community did not have any resources,” Key said. “He had to figure out, on his own, how to care for himself.”

The Sodality Foundation, which received its 501(c)(3) status in February 2025, provides funding for peer support training, mental health initiatives, wellness retreats, and clinical services for first responders across New Mexico.

Key noted that in March 2026, the foundation brought a training called “The Fire That Burns Within” to Carlsbad at no cost to participants. The organization has also funded a three-year subscription to the Powerline app, which offers 24/7 confidential peer support, for all Eddy and Lea County first responders.

“Supporting our first responders isn’t just the responsibility of the departments. It takes an entire community,” Key said. “When we care for those who care for us, our entire community becomes stronger.”

Shawna Hicks, founder of Aligned Energy Healing LLC, brought the presentations to a close with a message about self-care that drew laughter and nods of recognition from the crowd.

“If somebody told me 15 years ago that I needed more self-care, I probably would have laughed and said, ‘Sure, I’ll take a bubble bath as soon as I get done raising my kids and fixing dinner,’” Hicks said. “But self-care isn’t selfish at all. It’s essential.”

She challenged the audience to rethink their relationship with rest and worth.

“When did we start believing that we had to earn our worth or earn our rest?” Hicks asked. “Every one of you is already worthy. You do not have to earn anything.”

Hicks identified boundaries as one of the most powerful self-care tools.

She concluded with a short sound bath, giving attendees a moment of calm before the evening ended.

The gathering underscored a shared theme: that caring for educators, first responders, and oneself ultimately strengthens the entire Carlsbad community. The thread running through the event’s core is a message to all about the importance of caring for the community by caring for oneself.