From a young age, Kenya Lawrence, ’07, sought out opportunities to teach. As early as junior high, she would tutor elementary students. In high school, she mentored middle schoolers through the Breakthrough Collaborative program and volunteered as a summer camp counselor.

“I always knew I wanted to be in education,” said Lawrence. “I had an awesome math teacher in the eighth grade so when it came time for me to decide my major, I chose math in addition to a teaching licensure.”

Lawrence first began pursuing her bachelor’s degree in 1999 at North Carolina State University. As a mother and student working full-time, she faced several obstacles to finishing her degree. A colleague who was pursuing her MBA at Meredith encouraged Lawrence to apply to the College, emphasizing the small class sizes and strong community. In 2004, Lawrence began her studies at Meredith as a Wings student and completed her degree in three years.

“The small environment was definitely what I needed. Having that support system allowed me to stick with it,” said Lawrence. “When the daycare was closed, other students were willing to watch my daughter in the lounge while I was in class. It was really sweet of them to do that.” 

After graduating, Lawrence taught in the classroom for 14 years. She participated in many professional development opportunities, including fellowships with the Yale National Initiative and Charlotte Teachers Institute. In 2021, she was offered the opportunity to work with Durham Public Schools as a district math coach. After two years, she was promoted to math specialist. She provides schools with support and resources to improve their instruction and track student data to monitor progress.

Lawrence takes a personalized learning approach to education, which emphasizes learner profiles, competency-based progressions, individualized learning pathways, and flexible learning environments. In this approach, teachers co-design the environment with students and strategically use technology to present content, customize learning plans, and track student data. Lawrence earned a Master of Arts in Education Technology and a Master of Information Science from North Carolina Central University in 2023 to become more adept in technological resources.

Additionally, Lawrence is pursuing her Ph.D. in Mathematics and Statistics Education at NC State. “Teachers are asked to do a lot. How are they supposed to get everything done? I think the answer to that is personalized learning. That’s why I chose to pursue a Ph.D.,” said Lawrence. “I want to research how personalized learning impacts different classroom environments and how it affects social, emotional, and academic learning.”

Lawrence thanks Meredith for helping to develop her teacher’s voice and making her a well-rounded teacher. “Meredith provides a personal experience,” she said. “I felt comfortable going into the classroom and using what I had learned at Meredith.”