JANESVILLE — Amy Kenyon opened the doors to a conference room at Milton High School for what she thought was a regular meeting at her workplace, only to find familiar faces, like her father and over 30 people from her life gathered together to celebrate her being honored as one of the Women of Distinction.
“I am beyond shocked and honored,” Kenyon said of the honor which is presented each year by the Rock County YWCA. “It was overwhelming because you think, what did I do? I’m just doing my job.”
Kenyon and her family will join four other women and a young woman at the YWCA’s 49th annual Women of Distinction Awards dinner at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 8 at the Celtic House, 1417 W. Airport Road, Janesville.
The event recognizes women, young women and businesses or organizations who serve as outstanding role models for others in Rock County. The YWCA presents these awards to women who have shown strong achievement in their work and personal lives and who have given back to their communities in the spirit of the advancement of other women.
The women are nominated by friends and co-workers and are chosen by the selection community, which is made up of community members, YWCA Rock County board members and YWCA Rock County staff.
While she prefers talking about her work helping students, she appreciates the recognition from community members through the letters of support she received.
“I have 14 letters,” Kenyon said. “I keep them in my bag with my computer and when I’m working, if I get frustrated, I kind of just pull them out and take a deep breath and say, “you can do it!”
After graduating from Milton High School in 1991, Kenyon continued her education at UW-Whitewater. Initially studying elementary education Kenyon realized that wasn’t for her.
“I changed my major five times. I dropped out twice. I just didn’t know what I wanted to do,” she said.
One day a friend said he was studying business education at UWW. That was her was her lightbulb moment. Two weeks later she was enrolled into the program and graduated in December of 1999. By chance, a business education position opened at Milton High School and she’s been there ever since. She worked side-by-side with her previous teachers and continued learning from them, but as an educator.
“It was pretty cool and I still talk to them today,” Kenyon said.
Local businesses would consistently ask Kenyon if students were interested in their open positions, so she decided to create a Facebook page in 2016. In the Milton High School-School to Career Program and Mhs Jobs page, she shares job openings and internships for students.
“Since I was teaching business at the time, I only saw the business students. I didn’t feel like I was helping everyone out, so I created this for the entire school,” Kenyon said.
By posting jobs directly, she is able to promote a variety of career paths and give employers a way to find potential employees.
Paces changed in 2018, when her current position as School to Career Coordinator was created. She helps students explore career paths and plan for their future after high school through programs like youth apprenticeship, job shadows and career exploration events. Students come to her with ideas of what they’d like to do. She helps them figure out how to jump start that path. She also helps them advocate for themselves. She had a student in the EMT program who sulked about doing another semester.
“I said, ‘what do you mean you have another semester? If this isn’t for you, then let’s find something for you,’” Kenyon said.
That student went on to study business.
“Sometimes the things that you don’t like give you more information than the things you like,” she said.
Kenyon enjoys helping her community and connecting people to opportunities, whether it’s for themselves or someone else. She finds it rewarding to bring people together.
“I like to meet people and learn what they do, because the more you learn about other people the more you learn about yourself,” she said.
Kenyon is also: president of the Milton Softball Booster Club; organizing coach of the Milton High School Fishing Club; a board member of the Milton Youth Coalition and NAMI Rock County; is on the education committee at the Stateline Manufacturing Alliance and is the board secretary and an ambassador for the Milton Area Chamber of Commerce. “The school district has been amazing,” she said. “I show them that all of these other activities lends itself to what I do here. It all meshes into one world.” She also works with Forward Janesville on Educational topics and is on the education committee at the Leadership Development Academy of Rock County.
The event raises funds for YWCA Rock County’s Transitions program, which provides housing and resources to domestic violence survivors.
Tickets are $70 each or $560 for a table of eight. They can be purchased at Those unable to attend who would like to make a donation to the event can also do so at .
