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Kerryane Monahan ’92: A True Daughter of Storm King
Kerryane Monahan ’92
A True Daughter of Storm King
Every year at The Storm King School’s commencement, new graduates are reminded not to leave us forever, to come back and tell us about college, share their careers with our students at Career Night, and bring their spouses and children back to visit where they once learned and played; that Storm King will be here, waiting for their return, and that their school on the Mountain will always be their home.
Many of our alumni take the advice to heart and come back to see us often, but according to one alumna from the Class of 1992, she never truly left. Now a scholar, renowned science educator, avid outdoorswoman, philanthropist, and most recently, a Trustee, this alumna says that her heart has always remained at Storm King–the place she credits for forming the very fabric of who she is today. Meet Kerryane Monahan ‘92– a true daughter of Storm King.
Kerryane Monahan ’92 was chosen by Storm King’s administrators as the speaker at the School’s 152nd commencement for good reason. Her journey of self-discovery and her life’s path could resemble that of any student at Storm King today. Her inspirational story, her accomplishments, and the solid advice she prepared for the new graduates was the perfect send off for the Class of 2020 to conclude their years at Storm King.
Due to the pandemic, Kerryane was unable to return to the Mountain and stand before the class to deliver her words in person. At the news that commencement would be conducted virtually, Kerryane recorded her speech at her home in Florida against a colorful backdrop of palm trees, wearing her regalia. The upbeat video was a highlight featured in the School’s virtual commencement ceremonies released on the morning of June 6, 2020 (https://sks.org/commencement-2020/).
“I had a vision of what this day would look and feel like,” she began in her pre-recorded address. “This is so not it. I suspect we would much rather be together, on the Mountain, celebrating all of the accomplishments of this senior class.” She continued to tell the new graduates about her time at Storm King, how her experiences on the Mountain helped her discover herself and her passions, and her wishes for them in their future lives. “As the class of 2020, it’s time to develop the vision for your life’s adventure,” she explained. “May you change the world in ways we cannot yet imagine, but in the end we couldn’t imagine living without. Let no one constrain your dreams, don’t wallow in the disappointments, don’t be afraid of hard work; instead, find opportunity, promise, and joy.” Her words were spoken both from experience and from the heart.
Maine to the Mountain
Kerryane’s own life adventure began in 1974 when she was born. After spending her early years in Maine, she resided in the Hudson Valley, graduating from The Storm King School in 1992. “Both of my parents were from Massachusetts,” explained Kerryane in a recent interview. “We moved to Cornwall, New York, for their jobs– they were both college professors and deans. They missed New England so much, they ended up purchasing a family home in southern Maine and we spent every weekend, holiday, and summer vacation up there. It was a five-and-a half hour drive each way, so until my time at SKS, all my friends were in Maine. I sort of lived a split life, I suppose. I didn’t think it was odd or different because it was all I knew.”
“I came as a junior to SKS with a small cohort of other day students,” she continued. “I was looking for a school experience that was a bit more personalized and innovative relative to traditional public school. I needed to be challenged and pushed to grow. Storm King changed the trajectory of my life. The place and the people that teach and learn there brought out the very best in me, and introduced me to new ways of thinking, and to new pieces of me I didn’t know existed.”
Today, as a renowned educator, scientist, and National Geographic Education Fellow, Kerryane credits her successes to her teachers at Storm King who taught her chemistry, physics, anatomy, physiology, and confidence. “When my egg broke in physics, or I cried over my cat in anatomy, my teacher Mr. [Robert] Thompson never once questioned my ability to be a scientist,” she explained. “Instead, he pushed me and nurtured my curiosity and that made all the difference. I will add, he also held me accountable and landed me in Saturday night detention for a month when I opted to ascend First Peak on an early spring day instead of attending class.”
Kerryane says her passion for the outdoors and conservation science was sparked by her environmental science teacher, Mr. Joel Priest: “Mr. Priest taught me how to backpack across the deserts of the southwest, raft the white water of the upper Hudson, climb rock faces, winter camp on frozen reservoirs, and most importantly, he taught me how to connect with nature and the critical role that nature plays in our lives, and now my life is centered around the natural world.”
“And, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Mr. [John] Sinkhorn, my senior English teacher, who taught a bunch of high school kids about existentialism,” she recalled. “Actually, let’s pause there for a moment. He had teenagers invested in the works of Sartre, Beckett, and Chekov – we were exploring the themes of existentialism which included dread, boredom, alienation, freedom, and nothingness. It turns out he was literally preparing us for the COVID-19 pandemic. If only we’d known!”
A Science Scholar
After spending two years on the Mountain, Kerryane went on to receive an A.B. in Psychology with a correlate in American History from Vassar College, followed by an M.A. in Anatomy and Neurobiology from the Boston University School of Medicine. Most recently, she completed her Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Teacher Preparation from Lynn University.
According to Kerryane, her interest in science was present from an early age but it was her time at Storm King that helped her discover this important facet of herself and gain the confidence to pursue her passions in higher education and beyond: “I think I was always interested in the sciences, but my time at SKS showed me that I could do it in an era when women scientists were still fairly rare; that there were problems to be solved by people willing to get their hands a little dirty; that science could be fun and exciting, and also challenging with many opportunities for failure. As a science educator, this is something that I strive to provide to my students. Today, maybe more than ever, scientific thinking and analysis, and simply the curiosity to want to understand, are so important for society.”
“Mr. Priest and Mr. [Tom] Kane took a small group of us on a backpacking trip to Arizona,” she recalled. “We literally wandered the mountains and deserts, up to 12 miles a day, carrying packs that weighed almost as much as I did. It was so hot, so tiring, so hard. I thought I would collapse. But I didn’t. Marc Eisenberg ’93 took some things from my pack to lighten my load a bit, and we kept going. And eventually, it wasn’t hard anymore, it was amazing! To this day, I remind myself that when things get hard, share the burden a little bit, and keep going; find the beauty, the inspiration, the amazingness of whatever experience you’re in and just keep going.”
Birding at Maine's Little Moose Public Reserve Land
A Leader in Science Education
Today, Kerryane is a leader in science education; a National Board Certified Teacher of Biology, a National Geographic Certified Educator, a former Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Fellow, and a National Geographic Education Fellow for 2019. She has been working in secondary education for over 15 years in both public and independent schools. As a teacher leader, she focuses on weaving environmental themes across science disciplines and creatively using technology to support student learning and engagement.
“I never expected to become a science educator,” explained Kerryane. “I went to Boston University School of Medicine to study for a doctorate in Neurobiology. My research was focused on aging in a primate model and I really loved the work but I wasn’t enamored with working alone in a lab day after day. Some nights I would even sleep on the couch to monitor experiments that were running. One day, I realized this wasn’t how I wanted to live my life. So, I just up and quit and decided to figure out what to do… I fell into a secondary school teaching job and found that I loved it.”
After this initial discovery of her love for teaching, Kerryane found that she thrived on the energy of the students and enjoyed sharing her research skills with them and “getting them to do science, not just read about it.” “I’m inherently an overachiever, so it wasn’t good enough to just be a great teacher. I wanted to help other teachers be great too, and find ways to help them make their classrooms amazing for kids,” Kerryane explained. “So, I went back to university to earn a doctorate in Educational Leadership with a focus in Science Education, and continue to work with teachers through my fellowship with National Geographic, and most recently as a SciStarter Educator.”
Along with her work, Kerryane sits on several foundation boards with a focus on science education and creating authentic science learning opportunities for all students. She presents regularly at state and national conferences and works as a consultant for schools, districts, and publishing companies. In addition, she is the recipient of numerous teaching awards, developed an intervention strategy for building literacy through science, and has been awarded several STEM grants. She is also the former Editor for the The Florida Science Teacher, a journal of best practices for science teachers.
A Committed Philanthropist
In her virtual address to the graduating Class of 2020, Kerryane emphasized her belief in the importance of becoming a philanthropist and giving back: “Philanthropy is not just about the money, it is about giving what is most needed to causes and organizations that can have a measurable and needed impact. My greatest wish for each of you is that, beyond achieving your dream job or career, you become a philanthropist – that you find a cause you can commit to. Never underestimate the power of small gifts to effect big change.”
“I believe a single person can change the world. But when people work together, they can effect bigger change faster,” she told the seniors. “By partnering up with organizations it means one can do more. For example, as a National Geographic Education Fellow, I spent a year focusing on how to bring Citizen Science into the classroom and how we can help teachers get more students doing science and contributing to meaningful scientific research.”
“As a Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Fellow, I was gifted the chance to spend time along the southern border of Senegal studying agroforestry and secondary education programs. I spent nearly one month learning from Senegalese scientists and educators. We shared best practices; we developed collaborative learning opportunities for students; and we developed life-long friendships,” Kerryane continued.
“Most recently, I founded an education consulting business called The Change Education Company. My goal is to help teachers and schools teach and learn today for tomorrow. We live on a changing planet and we need to invest educational resources into preparing our students to be stewards of this one Earth. That means empowering them to effect positive change. SKS did that for me. SKS made me believe I could do anything and that’s the life I plan to live,” she continued.
An Avid Outdoorswoman
When she has a time-out from her busy schedule, Kerryane loves to spend time on the ocean, in the woods, fishing, and camping in the State of Florida where she resides today, and in other locations around the country. She has a vested interest in preserving the Indian River Lagoon and was awarded the Woman of Distinction Award for Environmental Leadership by the Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida for her commitment to environmental education. Her love for the outdoors is another facet of herself she says blossomed at Storm King.
“The opportunities to go hiking, mountain biking, camping, rock climbing, and backpacking at SKS really cemented my love of nature and being outside, but more importantly, those opportunities taught me that I could develop the skills necessary to take on lots of different kinds of challenges,” Kerryane explained. “Later in life, when I had an opportunity to spend time in West Africa as a Fulbright Teacher Fellow, I didn’t question my ability to make it work. I knew I could carry forward the skills I had learned. It turned out to be a transformational experience for me, both personally and professionally. I learned so much about myself, about teaching and learning, and how important it is to think globally and to get students to think about their role in the world and how they can make a positive impact.” These are thoughts that were shaped by the mission of her alma mater, Storm King.
Homecoming
In 2020, the life Kerryane planned to live brought her back to the Mountain as this year’s commencement speaker and as a new Trustee. Although she has yet to set foot on campus in person due to the pandemic, she is very excited to reconnect and get started in her new role. “It’s been many years since I’ve been back to the Mountain, but I am very much looking forward to getting up there again and bringing my husband to see it,” Kerryane explained. “Especially, First Peak– I’m going to make him do the climb and see the rock where I spent many hours taking in the view and the sun.”
As a lifetime educator and an alumna, Kerryane believes the future of Storm King is bright, and the invaluable experience she brings to the Board of Trustees will help to ensure this. “I have always seen, and continue to see Storm King as an innovative center of teaching and learning; an educational institution that develops the whole child; empowering kids with the knowledge, skills, confidence, and desire to step out into the world and affect positive change– literally making the world a better place for all of us,” she explained.
“In their future lives, I want our graduates to say they’ll send their kids to SKS because they can’t imagine a school that could do a better job educating and empowering their kids to lead a fantastically fulfilled life,” she continued. Her sentiments were also reflected as she bid the Class of 2020 farewell in her commencement speech: “In this moment, you might not be able to appreciate all the gifts that have been handed to you through your education at The Storm King School. But I promise you, for the rest of your life, those gifts will reappear and I hope you see them, recognize them, and honor them. Stay connected with this place and these people. This might be the greatest piece of advice I give you today.”
Kerryane's SKS yearbook photo
