If there is one person on Wesleyan’s campus that everyone knows and loves, that woman is Julie Keehner, Vice President for Student Development.
“The people at Wesleyan and in Buckhannon are our greatest strengths,” Keehner says. “Our students enrich my experience, as do the staff, faculty and community members with whom I work. I feel that all of us are part of something important and that Wesleyan is a transformational experience for many – including me.”
Keehner came to West Virginia Wesleyan in 2005 and is completing her eighth year at the school. She is originally from Illinois, but has lived all around the country. Ending up at the place she now considers home, however, took longer than one would expect.
“My first position, after earning my master’s degree, was at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte,” Keehner said. “I worked in residence life and leadership development for three years, at which time I assumed a position at Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pa. That’s when I discovered my love of working at a small college.”
Keehner’s husband’s career pushed the couple to pursue opportunities “west of the Mississippi.” It is then that she became the Vice President for Enrollment and Student Services at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa. After nine years in Iowa, Keehner found herself back in the mountains – at Wesleyan.
But what, exactly, does Keehner do? She is constantly a public figure on campus, calling out numbers at Big Bingo and greeting perspective students when they first step onto the Wesleyan grounds. She is a woman of many tasks.
“One of the reasons I truly enjoy what I do is that no two days are alike!” Keehner said. “I spend time in meetings as I serve on the President’s Cabinet and, through my position, also on several campus committees. I also meet with those in student development and enrollment management on a regular basis. In addition, I serve as the advisor for Student Senate. I have quite a lot of students who come to me with questions, concerns or just to chat.”
It is obvious to see that Keehner truly enjoys her work and the students of Wesleyan. She is famous on campus for hosting student organizations at her house at least once a week for dinner, an invitation that no one wants to miss. She has a true passion for young adults, one that is palpable as soon as one talks to Keehner for the first time. She has a true way of connecting with college-aged individuals.
“I went to college at the age of 17 and haven’t left!” Keehner said. “It’s an exciting time, with students experiencing incredible changes in their lives during these four years. I love being part of our students’ journey of independence and self-discovery. Not only does it keep us young, but we’re also part of our students’ transformation during these important years.”
Certainly any graduate of Wesleyan has memories that involve Keehner and the impact she has had on their years in college. Keehner has made it her job not only to give back to the students of Wesleyan, but also to give to the community in which she lives. She served as President of the Buckhannon Chamber of Commerce for two years and is now the Vice President of the local Rotary chapter. She was also appointed by the Governor to serve on the Commission for National and Community Service.
“I believe that with privilege comes responsibility to give back,” Keehner said. “All of these areas are ‘in sync’ with those values that are most important to me.”
Keehner has become a true institution at Wesleyan, someone everyone knows and who touches the lives of all those that she encounters. Although she is glad that she finally made it to Buckhannon, no one is happier about that than the students, faculty, staff and community members that interact with her each and every day.
We hope that these eight years are only the beginning of a long and fruitful stay at her Home Among the Hills.