MY WHY - Megan Kenney, Social Worker at Twain

Two things are certain to Megan Kenney, a social worker at Twain Elementary: she values hard work, and being someone you can trust. Back in high school, where this was made apparent to her, as a Peer Partner with the non-profit organization, Best Buddies, she knew then she wanted to work with and aid, in some capacity, children. She saw that children need a trusted adult, and she wanted to become that for them. During her time at Aurora University, she started out believing that a Special Education major was her key to doing so. She even went as far as envisioning herself working with middle schoolers. When graduation began to creep up on the horizon, the doubt came with it. She wondered if Special Education was the right fit for her. With one semester left before her degree was completed, she took a much-needed break to evaluate her options.

She worked as a nanny, and then as a teacher’s assistant alongside a school social worker, where she was exposed to another line of work she had never considered. But still, one that would give her the ability to earn a child’s trust, and to help them. Having enjoyed her time, and feeling like it was finally the right fit, Megan went back to school. She finished her Bachelor’s, and then enrolled in Aurora’s Graduate School, where she earned her Master’s in Social Work.. It all led her to now, where she unexpectedly fell in love with helping elementary students, instead of the middle schoolers she had previously planned.

“All that mattered was that I could just have one positive impact on at least one student.” And that she does. In her role as a social worker at Twain, every day is a different day, bringing a new schedule, a new “to-do” list, and a whole host of challenges. On any of these differing days, you can find her working with Students on Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), hosting individual and group therapy sessions, or even helping students sustain playtime alongside each other, and transitioning them into learning how to take turns. And every year the students change, Megan has to change alongside them and adjust to meet the new needs of the new faces.

Though social work may have fallen into her lap, District 21 appears to have been meant to be. Her father, who lived all over the country in his youth, spent a portion of his own childhood here in Wheeling. He attended London Middle School, even living in the neighborhood adjacent to Poe Elementary. Though Megan was raised in Naperville, her connection to this district and its students was there from the start. The cherry on top of all the coincidences: her mother’s maiden name is Riley.

Over the summers, when Megan is not working one-on-one with her students, she likes to dedicate her time to renovating her house, project by project. One summer it may be redoing her kitchen cabinets. Another break might find her painting the trim on her house, or her front door. All of this handy work being entirely and impressively self-taught.

Whether at Twain Elementary, or in her own home renovation project, you can trust that Megan will strive to get the job done, one positive impact at a time, one student at a time.