• Hello to all Shubelopolis families and members of the Hiawatha community!

    My name is Mr. Kemp, and I am delighted to be a part of the Hiawatha community this
    year and to be a citizen of Shubelopolis. I will be teaching alongside Mr. Shubel as part of my
    student internship program with Michigan State University. To get to know everyone a little
    better, I’d like to share a little bit about myself. I am in my senior year at MSU studying
    elementary education, specifically for grades third through sixth. For my major I am pursuing an
    endorsement in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) as I am interested
    and fascinated by all things relating to language. I grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, along
    with my three brothers, two of which are older, and one that is younger. I have an English
    Springer Spaniel named Cooper whom I cherish, he is extremely energetic despite being eleven
    years old. I spend my free time going on walks with Cooper, listening to music, or doing
    anything outdoors.

    I had a rather typical elementary school experience, but a somewhat atypical high school
    experience. In my sophomore year of high school, I was diagnosed with severe obstructive sleep
    apnea and I found CPAP treatment rather difficult. Due to this and other factors, it was difficult
    for me to get up in the mornings before school. I was routinely late to school, regularly meeting
    with my first- and second-hour teachers after dismissal to catch up on what I missed before
    running to the gym for basketball practice or offseason conditioning. While some of my teachers
    were understanding and compassionate, others were not as understanding and seemed to be
    skeptical of my sleep apnea diagnosis. My high school teachers that did not treat me differently
    due to my poor attendance had a significant impact on my life and on me ultimately choosing to
    go into education. I started my postsecondary education at Grand Rapids Community College to
    explore my interests and fulfill my general education requirements. After two years at GRCC, I
    transferred to Grand Valley State University to study human biology. Upon learning that I was
    not as interested in the medical field as I initially thought, I transferred to MSU to pursue a
    degree in education. I have experienced some hiccups on my academic journey, but since moving
    to East Lansing I have found abilities that I was unaware I possessed, to the point that I am set to
    graduate in 2025 with honors. As a non-traditional college student, I identify as one of the
    students that “fell through the cracks”. As an educator, I strive to make sure no student in my
    class goes unnoticed and that every student receives the support and assistance necessary for
    them to succeed academically.

    Education is more than memorizing useful information to me. I view education as a
    lifelong journey that extends beyond the classroom. I consider myself an educator, but I will
    always be a student that is eager to learn first.
    I look forward to meeting and learning with you all this year!

    Mr. Kemp