I moved to LaGrange when I was 5 years old. I loved growing up in this small town and always planned to be back here one day to raise my own children. I have one sister (Julie) and she lives in Newnan, Georgia. My parents still live here (Charlie and Barbara Ball) and are a huge part of my life. I am a Christian and strive each day to live a life that glorifies the Lord. I enjoy serving others in my church and my community. My husband (Ken) and I both work for the Troup County School System. We have a blended family of four adult children- two girls (McKenzie and Catherine) and two boys (Parker and Walt). We have four grandchildren and absolutely love being Lolli and Pop to them. I like to stay busy and fill my spare time with family, friends, tennis, reading, and being on the THREAD. We attend Rosemont Baptist Church and enjoy helping in a variety of ways there including being Safe Families for Children volunteers. I also serve on the Heart of West Georgia board and CASA of Troup County board.
About Nicole B Kennedy
Q: Please tell us a little bit about your family.
My parents moved to LaGrange when my sister and I were little girls (ages 3 and 5). We moved from Atlanta. The move was very difficult for my mom who had lived in a big city her whole life. LaGrange was very small to her. She had been a model in Atlanta before she and my dad were married. On their first date, my dad had to do a double take when a large bus drove down the street with my mom’s picture on the side of it! Even with her hesitancy to move to LaGrange, she ended up loving it. She quickly became involved in our schools and in church. My dad worked for Milliken and that is why they moved to LaGrange. Over the years of working at Milliken, he had many opportunities to transfer to other jobs out of town with the company and with other companies but his three girls never wanted to leave LaGrange. Ken and I have been married for seven years. Of our four children, three of them live in town, too. One has just moved to Augusta, Georgia but will hopefully be back in LaGrange in a few years after completing dental school. Our grandchildren range in age from 6 months old to 9 years old. Time spent with them is a highlight in our lives.
Q: Please tell us about your current, past, or future career. What do you love most about what you do?
I have worked in public education for 30 years. I started my career in Carrollton, Georgia at the Carrollton City School System. I worked at Carrollton Elementary School soon after it was built to be a super school. The system had closed several smaller elementary schools and combined them into one large school. I taught 5th grade and there were ten 5th grade classrooms on one hall. Most of the other grade levels were just as large as 5th grade. I learned so much about teaching there and met friends that remain close today. However, as soon as our first baby was born, I really wanted to move back home where all the grandparents lived. After moving home, I started teaching at West Side Magnet School. I stay there for ten years still teaching 5th graders. From that position, I moved into an assistant principal role at Franklin Forest Elementary School. Then I served a few years as assistant principal at Ethel Kight Elementary School. I currently work at the central office as the TCSS Community Coordinator. I coordinate a volunteer program called READ-LEARN-GROW that places interested community volunteers in our 1st grade classes to help in the literacy blocks of time. I am always looking for new volunteers, too! My favorite part about my job is working with the community and the school system together. We have so much to learn from each other, and that partnership is critical for the success of our students and our community at large.
Q: What advice would you give to people?
Keep your eyes on Jesus! Ken and I just took our youngest son to college for the next few years! Again! I wrote him a letter and left it on his bed. In that letter, my best advice was KEEP YOUR EYES ON JESUS! If everyone kept their eyes on Jesus, this world would be a better place. There would be more love between people. There would be less anxiety and depression around us. Mental health issues would decrease drastically. People would be more concerned about others and less concerned about themselves. People would be happier and more giving of their time, talents, and gifts.
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?
In five to ten years, I will be right here in LaGrange! I hope to have more grandchildren and to be enjoying family and friends each day. I will probably still be working and strengthening the partnership in our community between the school system and the community.
Nicole B Kennedy & Our Community
Q: What are a couple of your favorite restaurants in our community?
We enjoy Venucci downtown. We like to walk around downtown in LaGrange. A little further from downtown is Beacon. We like to eat there, too. It is very casual and laid back.
Q: How long have you lived or worked in our community?
I have lived in LaGrange for 37 years total. I did move after high school to attend college at AUBURN (War Eagle!!). Then after college, I lived in Carrollton for a few years. I have been back for the past 24 years and have no plans of leaving!
Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in our community?
When I think of interesting people that I have met over the years, two ladies pop in my mind. They are not celebrities but are ladies that when first meeting them, in my heart I knew I wanted to be like them! The first one was Mama Jama (Debbie Burdette). I met her when I was teaching in LaGrange many years ago. She was a reading guru and could get children excited about reading in a New York minute. My own children adored her and would talk about her at home often. I knew I wanted to be like her one day. Interestingly enough, I do drive a community bookmobile with my job (THE JUNGLE BUS) and go around sharing the love of reading with children and their families! In a way, I am just like Mama Jama now that I have grown up! Another lady that I immediately met and liked was Wanda Walker. She is very involved in our community and has a huge heart for the Lord. She has inspired me to help others more, to get involved in the community, and to spur others on in love and good deeds like the Bible says in Hebrews 10:24.
Q: What current or former local business makes you the most nostalgic about our community?
Charlie Joseph’s, most definitely! I remember eating there on Saturdays with my Dad as a little girl. He is a very friendly man and would speak to everyone. I loved listening to conversations with the adults in there and enjoying the company.
Q: What is your favorite thing or something unique about our community?
Our family loves the THREAD! I have walked, talked, cried, ridden bikes, pulled wagons, pushed strollers, etc on the THREAD! We enjoy exercising together and being outside.
Q: If you could choose anyone that is alive today and not a relative; with whom would you love to have lunch? Why? And where locally would y’all meet for this lunch?
I would enjoy a long lunch with the “Sisters in Christ”- a group of friends that encourage me in my walk with the Lord. We are all very busy and don’t see each other as much as I would like to see them. We communicate DAILY but don’t see each other often. We share prayer requests, lift each other up during low times, and cheer one another on often. I can see us eating lunch at Chicken Salad Chick all choosing our favorite flavor of chicken salad and enjoying each others’ company!
For Fun
Q: What is one of your favorite movies? TV shows?
“Forest Gump” for sure! I have used so many quotes from that movie over the years with students! My husband and I love to watch “American Idol”. We look forward to seeing the talented people, hearing their stories, and predicting the winner each season!
Q: (Even for friends or family), what is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
In high school, I was the state doubles champ in tennis my senior year in our flight. I love to play tennis. I took about 15 years off from playing when I was a single mom and very busy with my own two children. However, I am playing again and having so much fun.
Q: What would you rate a 10 out of 10?
God’s faithfulness is a 10 out of 10!! He knows! He knows! He knows! The older I get, I trust this more. There have been so many times in my life that I have doubted him, but it is really very simple! Trust Him! He is faithful!
Q: Who inspires you to be better?
My parents inspire me to be better! My dad has taught me so much about being “business minded” from building relationships with co-workers, to winning friends and influencing people, to masking your emotions in a field (education) that emotions are extremely prevalent, to making wise financial decisions, to being organized and communicating effectively. He is also a Godly man who has modeled for me to put God 1st in all things! My mom constantly points me to the Lord. Any friend of mine knows her and loves her. She shares her faith BOLDLY and encourages everyone to increase their faith in HIM. She inspires me to be a better cook, seamstress, house cleaner, and so on! I was not gifted with the “home living” gifts that she has, but I do still try to grow in them.
Q: Finally, what 3 words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME?
LaGrange! Exit 18! Remember who you are and whose you are!
