McKenna Samson is the Education Policy Manager at PEN America. Coming from a family of educators and administrators, she has a passion for literature and education. Prior to working at PEN America, Samson got her start in the policy sphere while working at the New Jersey Senate Majority Office, fulfilling communication needs for seven members across the state. She also gained exposure to local government as an Assistant Public Information Officer at the Office of the Burlington County Commissioners and served a term on the Board of Trustees for the Mount Laurel (NJ) Library.
She is an active member of Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Samson holds a BA in English and African American Studies with a minor in Communications from the College of New Jersey, and a Master of Public Administration from the Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania.