By Vince Teresi
Sean Aker is the new principal at Kennedy High School. He was previously the middle school principal in Scio for four years. He also taught math and served as a basketball and assistant track coach. Aker worked in the Dallas school district as an assistant in the English Language Development curriculum and as a coach for the middle school baseball team for three years and a year as freshman coach.
A graduate of Sunset High School, Acker participated in many activities including being a STARS trainer, a peer-mentoring program involving Students Teaching About Relationships and Success. He was also involved in the DARE program (Drug Abuse Resistance Education); Model UN activity; and Elementary Mentoring. Acker was a recipient of the school’s honorary Apollo Award.
Aker attended Mt. Hood Community College, Western Oregon University, and Portland State University. He received a bachelor of science degree in health at WOU plus a master’s degree in teaching. He is currently in the CAL program at PSU for ongoing administrative credentials.
He enjoys running and cycling. “I enjoy staying active with my family. I like the movies and watching baseball whenever I can.” His family includes two elementary school children and wife, Jenny, who plan to move to Mount Angel.
Aker sums up his basic philosophy of education this way: “There are no limits to what people can do. My job is to make sure the purpose is clear and to make sure everyone established the proper foundations for their work that lies ahead.”
He says his favorite quote is “You’ve only failed…once you stop trying.”
Aker is watching the ongoing, major improvements to Kennedy High School made possible by passage of the recent school bond by the Mount Angel community.
He conducted a recent tour of the school with Kennedy’s student leadership officers to view the construction progress to date. The general reaction was that it was an awesome surprise. Aker agrees.
His personal mission? “I will make everyone want to be at JFK!”
