Cohort 1
Erin Kennedy
EDUCATION • M.A. in Teaching: K-12 Instructional Strategist II (LD/BD) Morningside University • B.A. in Elementary Education K-6 Loras College
ENROLLED • Cohort 1
LOCATION • Menomonie, Wis.
Erin Kennedy grew up in a small town in Wisconsin where she played school most days with her younger brother and neighbors. From a young age, she knew that she wanted to be a teacher. She spent her summers and weekends working with her neighbor who has Downs Syndrome, which sparked curiosity and a passion to work with individuals with disabilities. While in college, she worked at the Boys of Girls Club of the Greater Dubuque Area, which ignited an additional passion in working with at-risk youth. She was able to begin her career and spend her first seven years teaching working with both populations as an early childhood teacher who was both the general education and special education teacher in an inclusive preschool setting at a high poverty elementary school. It was through her work here that she decided to earn her master’s degree in special education and consulting. After seven years in Iowa, her family relocated back to Wisconsin for her husband’s job. She spent one year working as an early childhood special education teacher in a rural district, before deciding to broaden her teaching repertoire and moving to general education only, as a firstgrade teacher in an urban cluster district. After seven more years as a first-grade teacher, Erin decided to go back to her passion of teaching special education to create more inclusive opportunities for students, including the development of co-teaching opportunities with her former grade level team. With 17 years of experience within the classroom, an opportunity was opened to work at the University of Wisconsin Stout Polytechnic as an Early Childhood professor. She chose to enroll in the University Wisconsin Stevens Point doctoral program of language and literacy to fulfill her terminal degree. Erin is excited to use her wealth of experience, knowledge, and her course work from UWSP, as she teaches pre-service teachers. In her spare time, Erin enjoys reading, gardening, playing board/card games, reading (including children’s books), hiking, and being outdoors. However, her favorite thing to do is spend time with her family who are the loves of her life. Her husband Mike, who is also an educator and their four children: Easton, Emmett, Charlotte, and Callen. They keep her busy, on her toes, laughing, and loving every minute of being a mom.
UW-Stevens Point
16
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