Unexpected career move puts Ketchersid in classroom

by Caroline Basile, sports editor

 

The teaching career of Keila Ketchersid, instructor of nutrition at South Plains College and a registered dietitian, began by chance.

“I was working as a clinical dietitian at Covenant Medical Center,” said Ketchersid, who is in her third year at SPC. “That was always my passion. I had never even thought about teaching, so it was a chance happening that I saw there was an opening here at SPC.”

The job was attractive to Ketchersid because it was different than the stressful hours and demands of working at a hospital.

“When I got here and started teaching, I knew this is what I was supposed to be doing,” Ketchersid added. “It’s taking something that I feel so passionate about and sharing it with everyone. I think nutrition is so cool, because it’s not like you can ignore it. It’s a part of everyone’s life. I hope to impact someone’s life that way by teaching them.”

Family life is important to Ketchersid, who has been married for five years and has an 18-month old daughter, Kallie.

“Luckily, I have a terrific boss who is very family oriented, so I don’t have much of a struggle juggling this job and my family,” Ketchersid said. “My daughter and my husband are my life outside of here. She’s the best thing ever. She keeps me going, and keeps me energetic and very busy.”

Ketchersid also loves the environment at SPC. She also was a student at SPC for two years, and was involved as a member of Phi Theta Kappa and served as a Texan cheerleader. She then went on to graduate from Texas Tech with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in dietetics.

“I enjoyed it while I was at SPC,” Ketchersid said. “I was a cheerleader in my first year, and that was great. I was also a member of Phi Theta Kappa, which was also great.”

Ketchersid is also an avid waterskier and has picked up snowskiing.

“I like to waterski and snow ski,” Ketchersid said. “My family is big on waterskiing, so I have been around it my whole life. My husband taught me how about five or six years ago. I had never done it before, but now I really enjoy it.”

Ketchersid also is very concerned about her students and makes efforts to help them with as much as possible.

“I love my students, and what I do here,” Ketchersid said. “I care about each one, and want them all to do well in my class. I feel that I do things above and beyond to make that happen, to make sure I am there for them and that they succeed.”

Ketchersid feels that finding her job at SPC was by chance and a great blessing.

“I really love what I do,” Ketchersid added. “It’s so drastically different from what I was doing, but I enjoyed it, and it was incredible what I was doing every day. But I knew immediately, once I got comfortable with being in the classroom and adjusted with the class, that this is what I was supposed to be doing. It’s just weird how things work out and God works in mysterious ways to get you there.