My name is Irene Marie Kennedy, and growing up, my father lectured that women shouldn’t be allowed to go to school. He reinforced that as a woman, I should know how to sit in silence, look pretty, and be sure to have dinner ready on the table.
Instead, I sat in silence and studied the pretty words covered across my books’ pages, and I fell in love with language.
My mother didn’t have the money to send me to college, but she gave me unconditional love and support — and that was all I needed.
At 18, I moved 14-hours away from everything I knew to attend the oldest women’s educational institution in America, which reinforced that my voice mattered.
I earned my bachelor’s in psychology with a minor in creative writing. I now own my own business, IMK Creative LLC, and I am a freelance marketing content writer.
I am a proud first-generation graduate.