Department of Education

Hometown: Wasilla, AK    
Education: Baylor University, B.A. Economics (2021)   

Kea is a current UEP student from Wasilla, Alaska, and moved to Rhode Island as a 2021 Teach For America Corps Member where she taught middle school math for two years. Growing up in Alaska was formative in her developing passion for education, as she spent time working with students around the state to effect changes within schools and districts. Through this experience, she experienced the power of student voice within schools, especially as it relates to policymakers. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in economics and minored in history at Baylor University in Texas, and is interested in the overlap of economic policy and the historical effects of policies, particularly within urban communities. 

Her teaching career began when students returned back to in-person learning and she saw a need for additional intervention within classrooms. As a teacher, Kea worked on an initiative at her school to implement a high-quality curriculum aligned with Rhode Island Department of Education curriculum standards. During her time in the UEP program, Kea hopes to gain more knowledge in mixed-methods research and is passionate about implementing a policy that reflects cultural relevance and increases student voice within schools. 

In her free time, Kea enjoys cooking (especially learning new recipes), knitting, and exploring Rhode Island. She is excited to be in the classroom as a student full-time and looks forward to building her professional and academic knowledge of the education system so as to apply her experience in the interest of improving learning conditions for all students.