Alec Keller came to The Ohio State University at Lima in the middle of a pandemic looking for something more than he was doing, a way to boost his confidence in the present and connect to his future.
He had always liked to write so he sought out people and places to hone his skills – playwriting as part of his theatre major and working in the library and as a Learning Center writing tutor.
“What draws me to the written word is that it binds our world together because things being written are kind of immortal as long as people continue to read and recite and preserve that knowledge,” Keller said. “It influences politics, influences our daily lives. Words can basically influence or really drive a point home. And I know, actions also speak louder than words but words come before action. That's just how it is.”
As he came closer to graduation, Keller started applying for what he thought would be his final summer job. He got a call back from his hometown newspaper, the Kenton Times. After using his college essays to showcase the skills he had been growing, he went out on a try-out story, then as a correspondent. Today, he is a full-time reporter.
His new job has allowed him to do the same thing he did when he started at Ohio State Lima, build relationships and investigate his community to find his spot in it.
“I love this job. It allows me to sit down and write and just go out there and make those connections and meet the community and just enjoy life,” Keller said. “I have been going out in the community and catching up and seeing what everyone is doing.”
Keller plans to continue working full-time as a reporter into the near future. Eventually, he would like to attend grad school and become a teacher at the college level. And he hopes to return to his alma mater to volunteer with the theatre program.
“I'm still ironing the future out, but I would love to come back and do something in theatre, like direct a play. I would love to write a play one of these days,” Keller said. “It would be cool to come back and do a project or two so I will reach out at some point. I would stay connected because I do not want to break that connection I made here. I want to come back and maintain it.”
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Alec Keller graduated cum laude from The Ohio State University with a BA in Theatre in August 2024.
