While working as a Kenan fellow, I had the experience of gaining insight on industrial ties to current curriculum, developing a project that relates to those experiences, and participate in unique professional advancement opportunities. These professional advancement opportunities focused on collaboration skills, project development/critique, the politics of education, in addition to learning more about ourselves as individuals. Activities included teamwork exercises, project sessions, lectures from experts in politics and education, as well as personal reflection.

From these professional advancement sessions, I gained a great deal of knowledge that I can incorporate into both the classroom and my own professional advancement. During the project development and critique, I was able to bounce ideas of colleagues as well as gain critiques that I used as improvements on my project development. This occurred throughout the entire process of my Kenan Fellows experience. Program leaders took it a step further and presented multiple aspects of the politics of education. They brought in experts from all sides of current political issues and allowed them to share their experiences as well as listen to the input of fellow educators. As a plus, we received the opportunity to simulate the process of arranging a state budget. This experience presented the difficulties that representatives experience when having to arrange the budget. In the end, we took these experiences and used them to reflect on who we are as educators as well as our goals.

Professional advancement opportunities through The Kenan Fellows Program are truly unique in addition to effective.  The experience has lead and continues to lead to positive changes in the way I teach students and collaborate with peers. Furthermore, the professional advancement sessions have allowed me to view the education profession at a deeper level.