When you meet Kenny Farr, you quickly realize that his story is about more than basketball. It's about purpose, perseverance, and people. A proud Cal State East Bay alum and former Men's Basketball standout, Farr has taken the lessons learned on the hardwood and transformed them into a life dedicated to education, leadership, and family.
At 33 years old, Farr is deeply connected to his roots. Born and raised in Richmond, California, just 30 minutes north of CSUEB's Hayward campus, he now lives near his hometown with his wife and their two young children: Malachi, a spirited two-and-a-half-year-old with an undeniable love for basketball, and a seven-month-old daughter discovering the world one day at a time. Farr describes himself as a homebody, cherishing time with his family above all else.
Professionally, Farr's passion for education runs deep. "I love, love, love education," he says with conviction. That passion began early. Just two days after graduating from East Bay in 2014 with a degree in Liberal Studies, Farr enrolled in a teaching credential program and stepped into his first classroom at St. David School, the same K-8 school he once attended. He taught fifth grade for several years before becoming principal there, a role he held for four years.
Today, Farr serves as Principal and Vice President at Salesian College Preparatory, his high school alma mater. In his nearly three years at Salesian, Farr has focused on creating systems of equity and safe spaces that foster inclusion and belonging.
His commitment to growth doesn't stop there. Farr is in his final academic year pursuing a Doctorate in Educational Leadership for Equity and Social Change at Saint Mary's College of California - a testament to his belief in lifelong learning.
With his current role educational leadership, Farr credits his four seasons as a Pioneer for shaping his professional and spiritual foundation. "Being on time for practices, meetings, weights, and workouts; being the first person in the gym to put work in before team practice begins; paying attention to the scouting report; prioritizing your academics in order to be a quality scholar-athlete. These carried over to my career in education," he says. Just as he once arrived early to perfect his game, Farr now arrives early to refine his leadership and create systems that elevate his schools. He focuses on 'Relational Leadership' where a coach showed genuine care for players as people first. That experience inspired Farr to lead with empathy and connection. Twelve years later, former students and families still remind him of the impact he made.
As a school leader, Farr emphasizes four core values: respect, kindness, integrity, and courage—the same principles that guided him as a student-athlete. "These happen to be the same four values that I believed helped me be my best as a Pioneer."
But his time as a Pioneer led him to his professional success today. "As I am in a season of my life now of marriage, fatherhood, and administration, I often look back, think about my teammates, my coaches, my fellow scholar-athletes in other sports, and the staff in the Athletics office, and always consider my four years as a Pioneer at CSUEB four of the best years of my life." Basketball gave him lifelong friendships, teammates who stood beside him as groomsmen, and taught him that being a Pioneer is about more than the game. As Farr sees life now, it's more about making those around him better people.
From the court to the classroom, Kenny Farr embodies what it means to lead with heart. His journey is proof that the lessons learned as a Pioneer can echo far beyond the final buzzer - shaping lives, communities, and futures.
