There have been many additions to the Arroyo Grande high school’s staff this year. One of these is Nicholas Kennedy, a new English teacher here at AGHS.

Kennedy previously taught as a Foreign Language teacher in the Santa Barbara school district, and he now teaches the English language to the sophomore class. Transferring district’s and moving to teach online, during a pandemic no less, was a challenging task. Through the help of the district and school faculty, he has settled into our highschool community well. Once he was settled, he was able to resume his free-time activities.

Kennedy enjoys reading and listening to music, with one artist in particular. 

“I love Stevie Wonder,”  he said. “He’s good, he’s hard to beat.”

Along with listening to music, Kennedy also enjoys singing. 

“I was granted a vocal scholarship… I attended Westmont College for undergrad, and received my Bachelor of Arts degree for English Literature, and also attended Cal Poly School of Education.” 

He has an inviting presence, which is complemented by his preference of earth-tone colors, which have a traditional meaning of friendliness and invitation. Similar to his comforting taste in colors and music, he prefers savory and salty tastes to sweet ones. 

“I love bread. Any type of bread… bread and carbs. Not much of a sweet tooth.”

While favorite foods are an important topic of discussion, even more relevant for an English teacher is the question of their favorite book and author. 

For Kennedy, it’s The Warmth of Other Suns, by Isabel Wilkerson, though he considers his favorite author to be Toni Morrison, known for novels like The Bluest Eye and Song of Solomon. 

Kennedy is enthusiastic in his mannerisms, an energetic speaker, and a confident teacher. He has high hopes for connecting with staff and students alike at AGHS.

“I’m looking forward to meeting my students in person when it’s deemed safe [for us] to meet, and I’m so excited to continue fostering healthy, positive relationships with the staff and the students at the school.”

Overall, Kennedy seems to be a patient, friendly, enthusiastic teacher and a great addition to our school community.