By Devon Rocke, Staff Reporter
(See below for a timeline of Boyer’s political career!)
Conestoga High School alumnus and current T/E school board member Kyle Boyer is running for the 19th district State Senate seat being vacated by Senator Andy Dinniman.
Boyer’s political aspirations first emerged when he was a student in the T/E School District. He was always interested in politics, and Boyer’s involvement in Conestoga’s political culture helped strengthen his passion.
Long before he was a candidate, Boyer was a student at Beaumont Elementary School and at T/E Middle School. He was a member of the student council at TEMS from sixth grade through eighth grade. Boyer’s winning streak stayed alive during his transition to Conestoga, where he served as class president every year but one and as president of the African American Student Union his junior and senior year.
“Being a minority student at Conestoga has its challenges, and to have a group that you identify with to celebrate your culture (and) to share issues together helps your experience at the school,” Boyer said. “It was an opportunity for me to gain some leadership skills.”
After graduating in 2006, Boyer majored in political science at George Washington University and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science. He then attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he received his Master of Science in Education and Master of Public Administration. Boyer also earned his Master of Divinity Degree from United Lutheran Seminary.
Boyer then returned to the area and began teaching in the T/E School District in 2014 at Valley Forge Middle School. He was elected to the Tredyffrin/Easttown Board of School Directors in 2017. Boyer also took on the title of associate minister in West Chester at the Mt. Carmel Church of God in Christ and became the president of West Chester’s chapter of the NAACP.
Sophomore Ryan Kraut, one of Boyer’s former students appreciated his teaching style and gladly volunteered to be a part of his campaign.
“He’s a humble guy, really down to earth, and he knows what he’s talking about,” Kraut said.“He was a great teacher and really engaged the class into what we were learning.”
Boyer chose to run for the 19th district State Senate seat following Dinnamin’s announcement that he is retiring from his position as the 19th district’s Senator. The 19th district represents portions of Chester County in the Pennsylvania State Senate.
As a member of the Democratic party, Boyer is facing Dinniman’s publicly endorsed candidate, Democrat Don Vymazel, among other candidates who will go head to head to become senator from the 19th district in November.
Education, health, criminal justice reform and economic development are Boyer’s main policy concerns, and he plans on standing up for these issues in Harrisburg if elected.
In terms of education, Boyer supports strong public schools to ensure that all students get a quality education.
“The biggest thing to inspire me to run for state Senate is my work in education. I teach. I’ve taught pretty much my whole adult life,” Boyer said. “I’ve wanted to be a teacher, and I’m inspired by some of the phenomenal teachers I had, some of whom are still here (at Conestoga). And I serve on the school board, so I get to think about the policy side and the legal side and the legislative side of education.”
Mental health is another topic Boyer would like to highlight, raising the stigma of pursuing perfect grades as a contributing factor concerning mental health in students.
“(There is) so much pressure at Conestoga,” Boyer said. “We’re trying to help people not be so hard on themselves and not (be affected) by this T/E pressurized culture.”
At his fundraiser on March 8, Boyer expressed his love for the church and devotion to his faith as they are what inspired his campaign. Voting begins on April 28, and Boyer’s name will be on the ballot.
Devon Rocke can be reached at [email protected].
