"I've just always wanted to help people," said Madison Kerney (EDU '24), as she spoke about her desire to support and influence today's youth in whichever way she tangibly can. It's this passion that led her to finding the Human Development and Community Engagement program (HDCE) within the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) at Temple University. 

Due to its proximity to her hometown and family, Kerney had no doubt about transferring to Temple University after graduating from Montgomery County Community College in the spring of 2021. Originally, she came to Temple as a biology major with a minor in teaching, aiming to become a high school biology teacher. Shortly after arriving at Temple, she began to look into options within CEHD because they aligned better with her passion for education. While exploring the different majors within the college, Kerney came across the HDCE program. 

"Once I really dove into it, I realized that becoming a teacher is not the only way to impact youth in the community," Kerney stated.  

It was through her experience with the very first professor she met in the CEHD, Meghan Raisch, assistant professor of policy, organizational and leadership studies, that she started to explore the idea of continuing her education through the +1 accelerated master's (dual-degree) program.  

"It was a Tuesday morning, 10 a.m. class. I had Dr. Raisch for Adult and Workforce Development. I never had someone put so much effort into seeing me succeed the way Dr. Raisch did, and it was due to her kindness, passion, and knowledge that I knew this was the kind of educator I want to become," said Kerney.  

It was professors like Raisch, amongst others, like Lori Shorr and Kelly McGinn, that helped Kerney find a deeper love for advocacy and social justice and become a change agent in people's lives. She was inspired to pursue a master's degree to expand upon the knowledge she gained during her undergraduate coursework and to have more opportunities in the field that align with her future goals. 

Kerney noted another class that was a turning point in her educational career was Families and the Community. This course examines the historical and contemporary development of families, focusing on national trends with respect to many factors, such as race and class. 

"The cohort of students in that class was amazing," explained Kerney. "We became a very tight knit group and had a lot of great, open conversations that helped forge my understanding of what serving the youth and their communities really looked like. We learned about diverse perspectives and were able to meet people who cared about community engagement in the same ways we do. All in all, we came to a better understanding of how we can help Temple and its surrounding communities, and the world itself." 

Outside of her classwork, Kerney was involved with the Human Development and Community Engagement Association and was a teacher's assistant for the School District of Philadelphia. Further, she completed an internship with Heights Philadelphia, a nonprofit youth organization that aims to get equitable education services to Black, Brown, and first-generation students. She secured this opportunity by reaching out to one of her professors, Chris Avery, who is also the vice president of program strategy and partnerships at Heights. Kerney completed this internship throughout the entirety of the 2023-24 academic year. 

"I was doing a little bit of everything, from creating newsletters, to helping with admissions, organizing, finding resources, and trying to get students more involved in the programming," said Kerney.  

Kerney was even offered a part-time job as an admissions coordinator with Heights Philadelphia in March 2024, before her internship even ended, which she gladly accepted. In this role, Kerney explains, "I work on ensuring we have accurate and up-to-date student data that aligns with our records, and I support recruitment staff that oversee intake forms and process applications, ensuring accuracy and adherence to established procedures. We are currently in a very busy season with the end of the fiscal year coming up and summer programming just around the corner, so recently I have been spending a lot of time converting student applications in our systems and making sure they are in their proper cohorts, programs and activities."  

Kerney is already exploring different routes to take in her career following the anticipated completion of her master's degree program in spring 2025. Whether it's working with Teach for America, teaching overseas through the Peace Corps, or supporting policy makers' endeavors for encouraging social mobility and access to resources, Kerney said she simply wants to make a real difference in people's lives.  

"At the end of the day, I just want to help people," Kerney reiterated.