URS Retirees Share Their Stories | April Kennedy

‘Time: That’s what URS has given me’

From $5 an hour to freedom to be present for life’s most important moments.

“Wait a minute, you still do pensions here? Because New York was phasing them out. And I was like, you get a check for life? Okay, sign me up twice!”

When April Kennedy retired on April 1, 2024, she thought she’d be easing into a new chapter of life. Instead, just nine days later, her mother fell and dislocated her shoulder. “Day 9, I was in the hospital with her,” April said. Soon after, her son needed surgery, her grandson graduated, and her partner’s brother died, drawing the family to Texas. “The universe knew I was going to need to be available,” she said. And that eventful start to her retirement helped April realize something. Her URS pension is more than just money. “You know what I’ve got that’s so valuable in my life now? Time. That’s what URS has given me.”

From $5 an Hour to Financial Freedom

April moved to Utah from New York in the early 1990s and started working in school kitchens making $5 an hour. But she was thinking beyond the paycheck. “Wait a minute, you still do pensions here? Because New York was phasing them out,” she remembers thinking. “And I was like, you get a check for life? Okay, sign me up twice!” That early insight guided her entire career. She stayed in public service, moved into new roles when opportunities came along, and steadily advanced her salary over the decades. She retired as a school librarian at age 60 with 29 years of service credit. “It’s not what you make,” she said, “It’s what you keep.”

A Rare and Valuable Benefit

April emphasized the rarity and value of her URS pension compared to what most people get nowadays. “Look at your family members, look at your neighbors,” she said. “Out of 10 people, at least eight are going to tell you, ‘I’ll never to be able to retire.’ And that right there, to me, should frighten you.” That’s why she encourages younger employees to stay engaged with their URS benefits early. “Look … go into your URS account. Do you even know how many years you have? You have access to all of this.”