The All-American Girl
A dedicated student, loving daughter, and loyal girlfriend, Miriam Kennedy is what comes to mind when you think of the All-American girl. And to top it all off she goes to church every Sunday. I’m sure this description evokes a few eye rolls, and a lot of doubt, but Miriam Kennedy is the real thing. Don’t believe me? Decide for yourself.
Miriam was born and raised in Greenville, North Carolina. Just after she was born, her parents, both pastors, began working to form a non-denominational church. Open Door Ministries, a beautiful church located on 10 acres in Winterville, is the result of their dedication 21 years later.
Miriam and her older brother, Aaron, grew up in the church helping their parents to make Open Door Ministries everything it is today. Miriam’s mom and dad, Deana and Greg Kennedy, say they feel truly blessed to have their congregation and could never have accomplished so much without the help, love, and dedication of their children. Miriam is the vocal and worship leader for the church, and performs regularly both singing and playing the piano. She also works at ODM as an administrative assistant, and volunteers there with the children’s program called Blaze Youth. Together, the Kennedy family has gained a large following of over 500 people and continues to make their church grow.
Miriam is currently a student at East Carolina University majoring in communication with a concentration in public relations. Lauren Kennedy, Miriam’s sister-in-law, graduated in 2003 from ECU with a communication degree. Lauren says, “Miriam has such a big heart and saw immediately what the skills learned from getting a communication degree could do for the church.” She explained that Miriam hopes her degree will assist her in taking Open Door Ministries even farther in making it a household name around the area and promote a positive view of Christians.
Miriam wants to share with people a side of faith that a lot of people have lost touch with due to religious extremists; she stresses having a relationship with God rather than a specific religion. One of Miriam’s closest friends, Megan Wamer, agrees with Lauren telling me that Miriam never forces her opinions on people and is extremely careful about recognizing other religions. “Miriam has already made such a huge impact on the church,” Megan says “There’s no limit to what she’ll be able to accomplish in the future, especially when she gets her degree.”
Miriam was fortunate enough to find someone as dedicated to family and church as she is— her boyfriend Jared. They have been together for two years and plan on staying together “as long as they both shall live.” Jared has a thousand wonderful things to say about Miriam and it’s obvious that he adores her. He tells me that their favorite thing to do together is go fishing, but they also enjoy watching movies and doing anything with their families.
Apart from all of the things they do for fun, Miriam helped Jared with his first business venture. Although the advertising company that he attempted to open didn’t work out in the long run, it was a learning experience that only made the couple closer.
“Miriam never doubted me when I told her my plans or made me feel like a failure when things didn’t work out. I’m so thankful that she is always there to support me.” With the financial obligations of the business still left over, Jared knows it will take some time to get back on his feet. He says, “I know I want to marry Miriam, but I want to make sure we’re financially stable first.” So, there’s no engagement yet, but it’s not too far off. After Miriam graduates in May 2009, they’ll most likely tie the knot.
Every time I am around Miriam I feel like I become a little bit better version of myself. Talking with her friends and family, it’s obvious that Miriam has that affect on everyone she comes in contact with.
Filed under: Classmate Profiles, Spring 2008