Before
the
ink
was
dry
on
her
degree,
one
of
the
first
graduates
of
BW's
Master
of
Education
in
Science
Teaching
program
and
a
BW
STEM
Scholar,
Kendra
Blackburn
'16,
MAEd
'19,
landed
a
job
in
education.
"Before I even graduated, I received a job offer from Menlo Park Academy (MPA), Ohio's only tuition-free school for gifted children in grades K-8," Blackburn says. "I teach seventh and eighth grade integrated science and high school biology."
For Blackburn, however, the path to the classroom was a winding one.
After earning a biology degree with solid undergraduate research experience in 2016, she took a job as a research technician. But she quickly began to question the fit and to reevaluate her career choice. She reached out to trusted professors at BW, who listened and talked her through options.
"After some soul-searching, I realized education was the right fit for me even though it was something I never previously considered," she says.
In
late
2017,
her
son,
Kaelan,
was
born
at
35
weeks
and
admitted
to
the
NICU.
"It
was
the
hardest
thing
I
have
ever
experienced,"
she
says.
As her son grew stronger, she made the decision to return to BW to earn her teaching certification and master's degree. She found a perfect fit in a new 14-month graduate program for students already holding a bachelor's degree in biology or chemistry.
She dove into the program in 2018 when Kaelan was just six months old and still required frequent doctor's visits and therapy appointments.
"Despite being pulled in every direction, I worked hard and graduated," she says. Oh, and she also earned a 3.85 GPA!
Life is more settled now.
In addition to teaching core classes at MPA, Blackburn acts as an advisor and teaches an elective called "Manga, Anime and Japanese Culture."
Over the summer, she worked as a volunteer animal care intern at the Medina County Raptor Center.
And in June 2020, she'll marry fellow BW biology alumnus Akeem Santos '17.
Looking back, BW has been a common thread as Blackburn searched and found her way. She says simply, "Baldwin Wallace changed my life."
