Vanguard University

Kerry was born near Boston, Massachusetts and raised in Costa Mesa, California. She is currently the Chair of the Undergraduate and Professional Studies program in psychology. Growing up, she enjoyed staying active in choir and theater. She had the opportunity to play in different productions: Into the Woods, Guys and Dolls, The Crucible, A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Sound of Music.

 

After graduating, Kerry moved to an east coast town called Wenham, which is in Essex County, MA, to attend Gordon College. She remembers loving Gordon's campus size as well as her faith-based education. Originally, she had planned to be a teacher before discovering her passion for social work. Kerry would later receive a master’s degree from the University of California Los Angeles and work in hospice for over 10 years.

 

“I love the way that social work allows us to express faith in a professional context. We can show love to those that the world tends to ignore or devalue.”

 

Upon finishing her time at UCLA, Kerry would marry her childhood friend, Stephen, at a small church in Laguna Beach. Coincidentally, he used to be the Associate Registrar at Vanguard. They currently have three girls and live in Orange. After working in hospice, Kerry gradually transitioned to teaching classes for the psychology department at Vanguard and later started leading as chair. Over the past year, she has worked hard in establishing a professional studies psychology program online that launched this fall.

 

“It’s a collaborative effort. The professional studies staff, faculty and administration have been working together with offices across campus to make sure we provide both online and classroom students with an excellent education.”

 

Kerry believes online education can be a great resource for students. Right now, she is focusing on how to bring a community feel to those students who join the online program so that it can be inclusive, giving them an on-campus like experience. The start of the new online program has taken over a year to come into fruition.   

 

Vanguard is so thankful for Kerry's heart, passion and service in helping others while caring for our psychology students. 

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