Prior to beginning her teaching career at Campbell Hall in 2013, Kena was a Broadway stage actress with a long list of credits to her name. Later, after finishing film school, her original films garnered a number of awards. She received a Jury Award for Best Film at the Woman of African Descent Film Festival, Best Short at the Reel Festival for Women, was a Finalist for Best Director for the BET Lens on Talent Film, Festival Opener at Roxbury International Film Festival, and Finalist Film in the Pan African Film Festival. Two of Kena’s films have aired on the Aspire Network, BET, and ABC. Kena also wrote, directed and produced a documentary, "Portraits of a Black Girl," which featured African American female students from Campbell Hall and Westchester Magnet. The documentary premiered at the PoCC Diversity and Inclusion Conference, CAIS Conference, and Across Colors Diversity Conference. Kena also conducted a private workshop about the documentary at Harvard-Westlake. As Campbell Hall’s first TV production teacher, she created and designed the curriculum for this multi-camera program. She is also the creator and Director of Campbell Hall’s public partnership programs, “Action! Film and TV Workshop for Kids,” the “I Have a Dream LA TV Production Workshop” and “Homeboys Inc TV Production Workshop.” Kena serves as a faculty advisor for the affinity group Black Student Union for Girls for CH African American girls in grades 7-12. She is also a faculty mentor for the television production club VNN, which films live performing arts and athletic events on and around Campbell Hall. She also shot and co-produced interviews with current and former CH employees for Campbell Hall’s 75th Anniversary documentary. Kena holds a B.F.A. in Drama from Carnegie Mellon University and an M.F.A. in Filmmaking/Directing from New York Film Academy.

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