held positions in the Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band
fraternity, and served as band president his senior year. These
experiences became a catalyst for his commitment to take on
leadership positions.
“I was hired for this position because of my abilities, my
résumé andmy experience,” he said. “I credit it all to KU. I’ve
been told by people here that they tried for years to get their
position, and I got minewithinmonths. My professors at KU
were incredible and helpedme grow as a person and as a leader.
They droveme to becomewho I am today and helpedme excel.”
He’s been teaching in Japan for three years, and has only
returned home, toMyerstown, Pa., twice. But for Kimmey, it’s a
small price to pay for the service he is able to provide the chil-
dren of the Marines on base.
“Theway I look at it is, I’m over herewith the deployedmili-
tary,” he explained. “They’re serving our country and I’m serving
them. It’s an honor and a privilege to do this job. Just being
over here, I’ve grown somuch.”
Following just one rule is the secret to his success as an
educator. This rule is the same everywhere— across continents,
time zones and cultures. It’s simple; put students first.
“You need to remember that it’s always about the students,”
he explained. “I incorporate this philosophy in everything I do.
Whether I’m speaking to other teachers, administrators or
parents, I always put my students’ needs first. With that rule,
everything else falls into place.”
For now, Kimmey is teaching in Japan, but he doesn’t know
what will come next in his career. The program he’s working for
has stations all over theworld, so his options are nearly limitless.
“It’s an open door to a career where anything can happen,”
he revealed. “When I graduated from Kutztown, I never imagined
I would end up in Japan. I believe, if youwant to do something,
go for it. Get out there, and see theworld.”
CHRISKIMMEY ’09
looks out the
window to determinewhether he
should call home.
“If it’s dark here, it’s light there,”
he laughed.
In someways, themusic teacher’s
career is likemany others: he organizes
concerts, teaches his students new
pieces and directs the band and choir.
In one significant way, the job is
extraordinarily different — he’s doing it all in Japan.
Kimmey, who teaches at the Matthew C. Perry Elementary
School located on the Marine Corps Air Station in Iwakuni, Japan,
applied for the position through the U.S. Department of Defense
Education Activity, which hires teachers towork onmilitary bases.
“When people hear I’mworking in Japan, they think I teach
English,” Kimmey said. “Actually, it’s an American school, andmy
students aremostly children of theMarineswho are stationed here.”
Kimmey teaches music at the elementary level, for kindergar-
ten through sixth grade students. He’s responsible for organizing
the annual U.S.–Japan Friendship Concert, which unites students
on the basewith children from five local Japanese schools. He
does it all, and sometimes in Japanese.
Although Kimmey is one of the younger teachers on base,
he has already taken on several leadership roles. As a department
head, he listens to the concerns of the teachers in his division,
and brings them to the administration’s attention. He’s amember
of the School Improvement Leadership Team, andmeets monthly
with other teachers and administration to discuss how to
improve schoolwide interventions and enhance education for
the students.
Where does this dedication come from?
While at KU, Kimmey was a tutor for the Department of Music,
KUMusicMaker aWorldAway
Summer 2014
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TOWER
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IWAKUNI, JAPAN
