Cora Kennedy’s Impact on Inclusive Esports

Cora Kennedy (she/her), is a woman of many roles. She is the Director of Esports at Illinois Wesleyan University (IWU), Managing Director of Aurora Series , DEI writer and speaker, and a freelance photographer. Kennedy has been with IWU for three years and has been running Aurora Series since the day it was founded in October 2023.

Kennedy's journey into esports began unexpectedly as a high school math and computer science teacher in Chatham, IL.

“I proposed to my principal that I should start an esports team on the second day of new teacher training after I'd been obsessively watching esports for a few years and he said yes,” said Kennedy.

This was just the beginning of the Glenwood High School Esports program. Over time, Kennedy nurtured the program, overseeing 60 players across 10 teams by the time she was finished. Within just six months, Kennedy's involvement expanded as she connected with the state esports league, where she became the director. This additional role came with the responsibilities of heading tournaments, managing streams, and many other tasks. For three years, Kennedy dedicated herself to fostering the league's growth, and saw significant expansion and success.

After that, Kennedy had the opportunity to join IWU as Director of Esports. Because IWU was about an hour away from her, she had to leave her high school students. Kennedy was feeling a lot of emotions by the send-off she received, and lucky enough, some of her students followed her to IWU.

What does esports mean to you?

“Esports has taken me across the country and across the world and created the most core memories of my life. The people I've met, the places I've been, and the ways I've developed as a person can be pretty directly attributed to esports. Esports is central to my life beyond competition and the growth I've seen my students have over the 6+ years now in the space has meant more to me than anything else,” said Kennedy, “I'm still a teacher at heart and all I want at the end of the day is for my students to be happy. Esports to me means more opportunities for students, bonding as a community, and developing a life I never knew I could have.”

Due to her passion for esports, Kennedy began the Aurora Series. Aurora Series is a group she founded along with a few students in October 2023 that is dedicated to marginalized gender competition in collegiate esports, starting with Valorant and now adding Overwatch. Kennedy initially ran an event similar to it called the Cherry Cup in conjunction with both CVH and NECC back in 2023 and is now a full fledged organization.

Kennedy also attended CECC this year with the Aurora Series. Having served as the photographer last year, she cherishes the behind-the-scenes perspective of the event.

"I get to do one of my favorite things in the world, take photos, and mix it with esports and work alongside so many colleagues I haven't seen forever and it is a dream," Kennedy said, “Large events like that are almost a family reunion of sorts for the industry as all the directors and coaches who haven't seen each other in forever come together and it was a weekend full of hard work, hugs, and photos that will last a lifetime.”

Watching Aurora Series on the main stage brought out a lot of emotion and feelings in Kennedy. Reflecting on the organization's journey from its inception less than a year ago to this milestone, she was moved to tears. For a while, she just watched from the crowd. She plans to continue going to CECC in the future.

What all goes into the Aurora Series?

“The org has gotten bigger than I could ever dream it could be! 30+ student staff across all roles, multiple sub-area managers, and ideas everywhere. Our tournament admin team is hard at work organizing next school year with dates, rulebooks, and registration forms while our design team is doing a brand refresh and we are working on securing partnerships and parent companies as well. A lot is going on behind the scenes although we look fairly dormant from the outside,” said Kennedy, “The students are the driving force behind a lot of what we do and they are amazing. I couldn't ask for a better student staff and the growth we are looking at in the coming year is almost overwhelming, if not exciting.”

Kennedy is a part of the LGBTQ+ community herself and opened up about what that looks like from her experience in the esports community. Kennedy views living authentically as essential— being true to herself, proud of her identity, and unapologetic about it.

“I make no effort to hide who I am given the trans flag tattoo on my arm, trans flag fidget ring I wear everywhere, trans flag in my profiles, and dyed hair and pride flags everywhere. For me, it means showing others that they can be safe to be themselves in the public eye and, at minimum, they have me as someone to protect them,” said Kennedy.

For Kennedy, authenticity extends beyond personal expression; it's about creating a safe space for others, especially her students. She tries to reassure them that they can embrace their identities without fear, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Despite facing adversity, such as receiving death threats monthly for speaking out against hate in esports, Kennedy remains determined. She willingly takes the negativity to shield it from those who may still be figuring out their identities.

Kennedy finds comfort and strength in the LGBTQ+ community within esports, where she comes across many allies. She really values those who stand by her in the ongoing fight against discrimination.

What do you hope to see change in esports in years to come?

“I want to see more people investing in students and their experiences instead of just raising pro prize pools more and more. Esports is at its best when there is a grassroots baseline and if we abandon that, we abandon the heart of this industry. While we can't put the genie back in the jar so to speak, we can continue to focus on student experience and sensible investment first,” said Kennedy.

Outside of esports, Kennedy used to be on a race car team in college and was the CFO and Aerodynamics Lead of the Illinois State University Solar Car team. She still contributes to the race series as the head photographer and will be attending the upcoming race in a few weeks.