Beneath the haze of the performance lights, with the rhythm of the drums flowing through her, and the music playing steady in time around her, Keiran Groce finds some of the most grounding experiences of her life.
Raised in the small town of State Road, NC, Groce, senior, often felt that a college education was out of reach, an unrealistic expectation pressed on her by family that she wasn’t even sure she wanted to fulfill.
At East Wilkes High School, though, she discovered her outlet in music. From sixth grade until graduation, she poured herself into band, finding both stability and a sense of belonging in the steady rhythm of practice and performance.
“My childhood was full of challenges,” says Groce. “I had epilepsy plus asthma and a serious bout of pneumonia that kept me hospitalized for half of first grade. But my family was always there for me. I’m one of eight siblings, and I’m proud to be the first to make it this far in college and will soon be the first to graduate.”
Outside the classroom, Groce has embraced leadership, community, and friendship. She serves as president of both the Gamers Guild and the Genders and Sexualities Alliance Club and assists in day-to-day work in the library. She also runs a Dungeons & Dragons campaign on Wednesdays and participates in a Call of Cthulhu game on Tuesdays.
“Working with Keiran is a lot like working with me at her age,” explains Rachel Walton, library manager. “It’s insane to see all the potential that lives in her. She’s a born leader, gifted at bringing groups together in ways I would never have attempted, and she’s dedicated. It’s not often that I get to brag on my student workers like this, I truly couldn’t run the library without her to assist me. I’m not sure what I’m going to do when she graduates, but I’ll be the proudest not-mom in the faculty section cheering for her.”
Groce has also performed and assisted in several productions on campus including Macbeth, Twelfth Night, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and twice in You Caught Me Dancing.
“The first time I joined (You Caught Me Dancing), I was incredibly nervous,” mentioned Groce. “The cast was already strong, and I didn’t want to mess anything up. But (former Theatre Professor) Rex Stephenson, the director, shook my hand, offered some encouraging words, and gave each of us a thank-you card at the end. That meant a lot.”
During times when she is not heading a club meeting or working on a set of yet another production, most of her downtime is spent enjoying video games, reading, or hanging out with her partner Phillip Turner, sophomore, or her cat, Stacy.
“What makes Keiran special is her amazing personality and her ability to endure and overcome,” said Turner. “She’s faced challenges most people never see, but she doesn’t let them define her. She just keeps moving, and that inspires everyone around her.”
With graduation on the horizon, Groce carries with her a diverse set of experiences from her time on campus. From leadership in student organizations and theater performances to work in the library and personal creative projects, she has built a foundation of skills that provide a strong foundation for the opportunities ahead.
