Kevin speaks about the way that his experience as an Olympian helped him understand the ways in which our academic grading system is flawed. His comparison between the ever-evolving nature of technology and the unnecessary permanence of letter grades conveys that our modern conception of grades isn’t as modern as we thought.

A graduate of Bellarmine College Prep and Georgetown University, Kevin McMahon is a two-time Olympian and eleven-time US Championship medalist in the hammer throw. As a design educator, Kevin has taught at Bellarmine for 19 years and was selected as an Adobe Education Leader from 2006-2016. As a freelance designer, Kevin's work ranges from logo branding to animation to web design. His client list includes Stanford University, USA Track and Field, and Adobe. He has a rather alarming passion for Kung Fu moves.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx