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Aimee Kennedy
Aimee Kennedy
00:53

Aimee Kennedy

Battelle Memorial Institute

Columbus, OH USA

"Starting from scratch is the best because you can be whatever you want to be."

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Aimee's work combines: Education, Science, and Helping People

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Day In The Life

VP of Education, Philanthropy, and STEM Learning

I foster innovative educational environments that prepare students for tomorrow’s career and college environment.

My Day to Day

I lead the education and philanthropy work of one of the world's largest R&D organizations. I work to help schools, educational non-profits, and communities understand how they can make the switch to the latest proven innovations in teaching and learning.

Skills & Education

Advice for getting started

You have to push through and be determined. All you need is the right person to validate what you are doing, and then you are on your way.

Here's the path I took:

  • High School

  • Bachelor's Degree

    Speech Communication and Rhetoric

    Malone University

  • Bachelor's Degree

    Education, General

    Malone University

  • Graduate Degree

    Education, General

    University of Akron Main Campus

Life & Career Milestones

My path in life took a while to figure out

  • 1.

    Wanted to go into teaching because she wanted to show kids that a good education could lead them down any path they chose.

  • 2.

    Says that the best schools in the nation right now are not the schools who follow traditional educational routes.

  • 3.

    Was formerly the Chief Academic Officer of Metro Early College High School, which focuses on STEM fields.

  • 4.

    Only once her students started outperforming others on the state tests did people start believing in Metro's vision.

  • 5.

    Says her goal is to reach the kids who aren't good at "playing school."

  • 6.

    Believes every kid needs someone who says to them, "Of course you can get an A. Of course you can go to college!"

  • 7.

    Says the best part of a teacher's day can't be the planning or the grading-it has to be the hours in the classroom with the kids.

  • 8.

    Now works for Battelle, where she fosters the development of more STEM-centred schools like Metro.

Defining Moments

How I responded to discouragement

  • THE NOISE

    Messages from Society in general:

    No way can every kid get an A. What if this doesn't work?

  • How I responded:

    You have to push through and be determined. All you need is the right person to validate what you are doing, and then you are on your way.

Experiences and challenges that shaped me

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  • My mom was a teen mom and I grew up watching her struggle as she put herself through school. This definitely made me be more self-motivated.