If you haven't heard the news already, the McKay School of Education has a new dean!
I had the pleasure of sitting down with her and getting to know her better, and I'm excited to share what I learned.
Dean Hall-Kenyon grew up in Boise, Idaho and always knew she wanted to be a teacher. So, when she arrived at BYU, she decided to double major in Family Science with a K-8 certificate. Since graduating from Brigham Young University, she has been a classroom teacher in both Utah and Washington, D.C. Her absolute favorite thing in the classroom was teaching kids how to read and seeing her students progress throughout the school year.
Upon entering the classroom, her passion for education grew, and she decided to pursue both her MA and Ph.D. in human development at Columbia University. After completing her Ph.D. program she joined the Teacher Education program at BYU as an Early Childhood Education professor. She was a professor for several years before becoming Department Chair in 2016, where she remained until 2022 when she was named Interim Dean.
Her passions do not stop at education. She also enjoys spending time with her family, being outside, and playing golf!
Not only was I able to get to know the new dean, but I was also able to get some great insights into what education means to her. One that stuck out to me was, "Who you are is as important if not more important than what you teach." She went to explain that the relationships you build with your students in your classroom are critical to their success in all areas.
As educators, we must remember that the strength of our relationship with students makes the ultimate difference in translating our drive for teaching into their passion for learning.
I am delighted to have interviewed Interim Dean Hall-Kenyon and hope you were able to get to know her better!
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