HANK GUO

From owning a small business to becoming a main office receptionist at the high school, Mrs. Keiko Keegan’s current and past jobs are vastly different. Regardless of the difference between these two jobs, she shows her passion, dedication, and love for her job through her passion for connecting with visitors, teachers, and students.

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As a graduate of the University of Rochester and former owner of the 1-2 Boxing Gym in Franklin, she was able to bring past experiences and skills to better serve the students and visitors at the high school. In addition, Keegan said how she is very familiar with the high school, as her husband was formerly employed in the district as an assistant principal.

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Keegan’s education and former position in managing a small business prepared her for her position as the main office receptionist. At her former job, Keegan needed to create the positive energy, while here at the high school, the energy seemed to be already there. Her proficiency in creating a positive environment for those around her has provided her the ability to understand those around her and motivate them in their everyday lives. She said how due to her education, she is able to understand different kinds of people and how to handle a variety of situations as well.  

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“Studying psychology teaches you all about different kinds of people and what motivates them and understanding that people are different in how they handle situations,” said Keegan.

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Keegan is the first face that most people see when they come inside the school. Keegan described how she also needs to make sure that she is not buzzing in dangerous people into a building filled with hundreds of students and teachers.

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“I’m the first line of safety, so I want to make sure that we keep the school a safe place by buzzing people in,” Keegan said.

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Furthermore, through this job, Keegan says how the people, the memories, and the community has made it easier to transfer from her former job to her current position.  

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“It brought back a lot of memories for me — happy memories because my husband was here,” said Keegan.

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During the process of the job switch, Keegan points out the tightly-knit, warm community that welcomed her and brought up happy recollections. She showcased her happiness and ability to have a positive impact on the environment and district by helping people settle into a positive mindset when starting the day. 

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Mrs. Diane Zinck, principal’s secretary, described how Keegan had an application that made her stand out from the others. She said how Keegan had all the qualifications with working with people at the high school. She was what they were looking for. She mentioned how Keegan has only brought positive energy since coming and how her exceptional organizational skills have greatly benefited the office. 

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“She’s a helper, she’s a mom, she’s happy, she smiles, she’s warm, she wants to help… it just brings this positiveness,” said Zinck.