RISING STAR

PHOTO BY MARY B. BERGMAN When Kevin Mahoney, 24, walks into his classroom at Nantucket Elementary School each morning, he does so knowing he will be greeted by 17 small children and one guinea pig.

Along with Francie Baskett, Mahoney teaches one of five kindergarten classes offered at the school.

Originally from Connecticut, Mahoney moved to the island in 2007 to teach fifth grade.

"I always knew what I wanted to be when I grew up," Mahoney said.

His fourth grade teacher, Mr. Paylino, inspired him to enter the profession. While he attended Southern Connecticut State College, Mahoney worked as a substitute teacher at the same elementary school he had attended and often worked with Mr. Paylino.

After graduating from college, Mahoney applied for jobs near his Connecticut home, but "with the teacher's college nearby, it was hard to find a job," he said.

He originally applied for a substitute teaching position with the Nantucket Public Schools, and was offered a fulltime position as a fifth grade teacher.

No stranger to the island, Mahoney first visited Nantucket on a Boy Scout trip in 1996, and he looked forward to the troop's annual camping trip to the island.

An Eagle Scout, Mahoney maintains a strong connection with the Boy Scouts of America, and has continued his work on island with Troop 97. Mahoney and the scouts recently braved the cold and spent a Friday night at Camp Richard in the state forest.

While Mahoney seems to enjoy all aspects of teaching, it is reading about which he is most passionate.

"It's neat to see the children learning to read - I didn't get to see that in the upper levels," he remarked.

Mahoney introduced the Guest Reader program to the elementary school, in which different members of the community come into the classroom and read one of his or her favorite stories to the young students.

He wanted the students to see "how reading affects lives of people in the community."

Mahoney is very interested in improving the connection between the community and the school.

"We all have to take care of each other," he said.

Although he has only been on island two years, Mahoney has found time to give back to his community and enjoys volunteer work.

He volunteered last summer for the Nantucket Cottage Hospital's Boston Pops concert in addition to running in different road races.

Growing up on Long Island Sound, Mahoney said he enjoys the coastal community of Nantucket.

"I think about people in landlocked states a lot," he said.

Mahoney has quickly adjusted to island life, thanks to the outreach provided by his coworkers.

"It was tough being new, but everyone was helpful," he said.

Mahoney's interests in scouting and teaching overlap as he describes his ultimate goal as a kindergarten teacher.

"I hope to provide them with a compass to figure out what direction they want to take their learning and their life," he said. I