Mackenzie Kerns

Mackenzie grew up in Romney and moved to Martinsburg after graduating from Shepherd University in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. During his time as a mentor with AmeriCorps Energy Express, he discovered a passion for helping struggling readers build confidence and develop effective reading strategies. This experience led him to pursue a master’s degree in Literacy Education from Frostburg State University, which he earned in 2020.

Mackenzie is currently a first-grade teacher at Spring Mills Primary School and has been teaching in Berkeley County since 2018. His favorite subject to teach is phonics, and he especially enjoys reading stories with his students. At the local level, Mackenzie has served on the Spring Mills Primary PTA leadership team since 2023.

In 2024, Mackenzie was appointed Eastern Regional Director on the West Virginia PTA Board of Managers. Most recently, he was elected Secretary of the West Virginia PTA in 2025 for the 2025–2027 term. Mackenzie’s favorite part of PTA is ensuring that all children have a voice, and he is passionate about advocating for better opportunities for every child. He enjoys presenting workshops, building new connections while strengthening existing ones at the annual state convention, and creating content for WV PTA using Canva.