Saint Mary’s University senior Jordan Keeley may only be 5’6”— “average” as she calls it — but she’s proof positive that one person can make a big impact.
And there’s nothing average about Jordan Keeley.
As a goalie for the Cardinal women’s hockey team, Keeley guards the net game after game — knowing she’s the last line of defense against the opposition.
As a student, she has a nearly perfect grade point average.
And as a dedicated Winona community member, Keeley devotes herself to a list of causes longer than she can shake a hockey stick at. Never one to sit idly on the sidelines, Keeley says she feels called to serve.
“It’s part of who I am,” she said with a smile and a shrug. “This is how I show that I love and that I care.”
In the Winona area, you might find her volunteering at the Winona Health info desk on Sunday mornings, walking dogs for the Winona Area Humane Society, assisting with the Alma Tails of Hope, weeding in the community garden, or coaching Winona Youth Hockey. Or you might have bumped into her running around the lakes as she turned a fitness regimen into a successful fundraiser.
It’s this passion for helping others that led Keeley to double major in pre-physical therapy-biology and leadership.
“Through a career in physical therapy, I am able to mix my passions for science and service,” she said. “ Being a goalie takes a toll on my legs and joints, so I have had to see physical therapists. My PTs were the people who got me past thinking it was the end of the world and encouraged me. Right when you think that you can’t do something, you have someone telling you you can. I want to be that person. I want to help someone recover from an injury and get back to what they love doing.”
On campus, the St. Peter, Minn., native also led this year’s Green Bandana Project’s mental health campaign. Through this effort, participants learned more about mental health and how to break the stigma often associated with it. They were also trained to direct students to mental health resources on campus. A total of 224 people have completed the training, each earning a green bandana so that they can be identified as a safe and knowledgeable resource for others in need.
A member of the International Acts of Kindness Club, Keeley is also involved in buddies, and serves as a peer tutor for upper-division science courses. She’s in the Tri-Beta and Delta Epsilon Sigma honor societies, serves as the president of the Saint Teresa and Peter Leadership Club, is a member of Student Senate, and has worked as an orientation leader.
During the summer of 2021, Keeley ran, walked, or Rollerbladed 250 miles in 100 days to raise money for the Saint Mary’s Benefit (formerly known as the Taylor Richmond Benefit). It started as she was looking to keep busy during the summer and to stay physically active.
“I soon discovered I’m not in shape enough to run that many miles,” she said with a laugh, “So I added Rollerblading, but about a month in, my Rollerblades bit the dust. So I ended up running.” Keeley decided she might as well draw attention to a worthy cause, so she shared and recorded her progress on social media, and her efforts garnered $1,100 for a medical disorder called Ataxia Telangiectasia.
In recognition of her work, in February, Keeley was named one of five finalists for the Hockey Humanitarian Award (a national award with one winner, male or female, from any college division) in February, and she was also named this year’s Saint Mary’s Outstanding Female Senior on March 15.
“I love to take a step back and realize the impact that can be made,” Keeley said. “I think the thing I’m most proud of is knowing the impact that we have made as Cardinal athletes, and in particular as the women’s hockey team. Together we participated in the local color run this past fall and hosted the Rochester Special Hockey Team, which was an incredible experience.
“Coach Sarah Murray stresses that being a student-athlete is a privilege. The experience is about more than just being a good student or an athlete, it’s about being a better person. I’m proud of the impact we’re able to have.
“There’s something special about Saint Mary’s that calls together that type of person,” Keeley added. “I can’t think of one teammate who is not giving or selfless or willing to go out in the community and make a difference. We can attribute that to our coach and our community, but I think Saint Mary’s must just bring in extra great people.”