Carrie Kennedy

Tell us why you became a teacher

So many influential people in my life encouraged curiosity and self discovery. These were some of the best ways to intrinsically motivate and keep the learning going for me. I wanted to pass these ideas and excitement along to others.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

I was teaching about permutations and combinations in middle school math. A few weeks later in class a student shared she had been watching my outfits and based on all my key articles of clothing she had calculated the amount of outfit combinations I could make based on what we had learned in class.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would take my family on a summer trip. We don’t get to spend a lot of fun time together during the school year so I want to have time enjoying and exploring with them. The National Parks have such variety of things to recharge my curiosities and allow for all kinds of discovery. I think this would be a fun start. I would also use part of the money to help send some of my students to summer camp. I want them to experience something out of their comfort that pushes them to trust themselves.