Meet Kelly Agnew! Kelly is a two-time Cardinal graduate. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Journalism and Public Relations with minors in Marketing and Psychology in 1996. Kelly came back to earn a Master of Arts in Elementary Education in 2001. Kelly spends a lot of her time cheering on the BSU Swimming and Diving teams alongside head coach and husband Jay Agnew. Chirp Chirp to this lifelong Cardinal!

 

What led you to your graduate program at BSU?

After working in public relations at a small college in Georgia for the first few years out of college, I quickly realized that my heart was not in it. My calling was in teaching. My husband told me, while we were Ball State undergrads, that I should be a teacher, but I was convinced that I wanted to go into business. However, he had seen the teacher in me much earlier than I saw it myself. Fortunately, Ball State began the Transition to Teaching program the same year I decided to take a leap of faith and go back to school to become a teacher. After being accepted to the first MAETEE cohort, we found out that our first baby was on the way, and we quickly decided to move back to Muncie. The new graduate program allowed me to get my master’s and teaching certification in 18 months, which was perfect for that season of my life. To make moving back even more enticing, I was also offered a graduate assistant position, which helped alleviate some of the financial burdens of these big life changes that happened at one time. Ball State has always been a special place to my husband and me, so getting my graduate degree here made it worth the move home.

What was your proudest memory as a BSU grad student?

Right before I was accepted into the program, I found out I was pregnant with our first child. Accepting my spot in the cadre meant that my husband and I would be moving back to Indiana when our new baby would be only five weeks old. Looking back, it seems like a crazy decision since my husband didn’t have a teaching job secured when we made the move. However, we felt called back to the Muncie area and prayed it would all work out. It was not easy completing the 18-month program with a newborn, but thankfully, I had family that supported my dream of becoming a teacher and helped us make it work. I think my proudest moment was walking off the stage at our graduation ceremony and getting to hold my daughter, who had grown into a walking toddler by that point. It is because of that program that I was able to raise both my daughters while working the job of my dreams.

How have you been able to use your graduate degree(s) from BSU?

When I left my public relations career and became one of the first transition to teaching students at Ball State back in 2000, I knew my heart was meant to reach at-risk students and be a part of the schools they were in. The tug to find ways to bridge the gap between where students are coming from and where they can be has always been what drives my passion for teaching. One of my most desired goals and challenges as a teacher is to help students break away from generational cycles of poverty, apathy, and trauma.

I have been lucky enough to use my degrees both in the Lafayette and Muncie School Corporations. When we moved back to Muncie in 2018, we aimed to try to have an impact in a city that has always had so much potential. I have tried to do that in as many ways as I can personally. I have been fortunate to be a spokesperson for the MCS in varying capacities on both local news stations and national publications. As the master teacher at West View, I have tried to continue to grow and expand the unique MCS and Ball State partnership within our school communities to connect needs with resources that are available. There is still so much untapped potential that I continue to want to explore.

One of my most treasured memories in my teaching career was when I was able to make the dream of creating a summer literacy camp come to reality. I saw the need to reduce the summer learning loss for

our most at-risk third and fourth-grade students and was able to fully fund it through grants. I am never too proud to go out on a limb and ask for things for my students. It is one of my greatest joys. I owe Ball State for this opportunity to live out my passion in so many different ways.

Most recently, I have been able to share the love of my career with current Ball State undergraduate students. My husband coaches the swim teams at Ball State, and it has been so fulfilling to have some of his athletes come volunteer to be Reading Buddies or just time in the school as they pursue their own dreams, whether that is in education or another career path. It has been inspiring to see them provide community service to the students in our school who need extra help with academics, as well as to just listen to them talk about their day. 

What advice or wisdom do you have to share with current BSU grad students?

Follow your dreams and think big. I would have been fine in my first career in public relations. In the 2 ½ years I was in that position, I won national awards and was successful. However, it did not fulfill the calling that I feel God had on my life to work with kids. This job, although heartbreakingly hard at times, is what I was meant to do.

In education as in life, nothing stays the same. Change is inevitable. As Ball State graduates, it is up to us to stay flexible and adapt to changes that happen in our professions. As I near my 22nd year of teaching, I am more passionate about learning how to effectively reach and teach my students than ever before.

I know that the winds and sometimes storms of change can make it seem difficult to keep moving forward in our careers. However, those are the times when it is most vital to encourage and confide in those colleagues who are in it with you. There are always ways to learn and improve your craft. Ball State has so many opportunities to network if you take the time to look and ask. I continue to reflect and look ahead to what new things the future may hold for my work in both education and our community.