Lieutenant Colonel Donna Carter is the first female to achieve her current rank in the NC State Highway Patrol (NCSHP). She joined the Patrol in 1997 as a recruit in the 98th Basic Patrol School, where she graduated alongside two other women cadets.
After graduating from college, Lt. Col. Carter started her professional career as a physical education teacher. She noticed the professionalism of troopers at events such as the NC State Fair and was drawn to this challenging career path to see if she could persevere the difficult basic training.