Educator Profile: Meet Rowan, our newest KBEP Educator!

Rowan McKenna was raised in Seekonk, Massachusetts. She graduated from Rhode Island College in 2017 with a degree in Gender & Women’s Studies and a minor in Communications. Rowan started at the Katie Brown Educational Program in January 2018. Prior to working with the Katie Brown Educational Program, Rowan served as a contributing columnist for GET RI Magazine and as a nonprofit management intern at the Center for Sexual Pleasure and Health. Rowan is interested in intersectional feminism, violence prevention, and public policy, and hopes that her work will improve the community through education and advocacy.

How did you learn about the KBEP?

I discovered the KBEP through a listserv hosted by the Swearer Center at Brown University, which posts information about nonprofit organizations in the area.

What is your favorite thing about working at the KBEP?

I love working at an organization that is truly committed to making social change. Everyone who works at the KBEP is dedicated to ending relationship violence and making the world a better place. It feels good to be doing work that makes a difference.

Why do you feel like relationship violence prevention is so important?

Relationships are an essential part of life. I believe that everyone should have the chance to develop and maintain healthy interpersonal relationships because of our relationships with our families, friends, peers, and community help to shape so much of who we are and how we see the world. Violence has no place in a healthy relationship, and I think that everyone deserves to have relationships built on trust, honesty, and respect.

What was your favorite subject in high school?

My favorite subject in high school was English Literature because I love to read and discuss new ideas. Reading and writing help to develop communication and analytical skills, but more importantly, studying literature can help to cultivate imagination, empathy, and understanding.

Do you have any pets? What’s your favorite thing about them?

I have a cat with cerebellar hypoplasia named Lola and a blind Labrador Retriever named Scout. Both were adopted from the Providence Animal Rescue League, where I also volunteer as a foster for animals in need. Lola and Scout have such unique personalities, and I especially love how they have learned to adapt, communicate, and interact with the world in their own way.