By Katie Adamson

Have you ever spotted someone holding a camera with the coolest pair of Jordans walking around campus? If so, you have likely found Keller Craig, Collegiate’s very talented Social Media and Communications coordinator, who happens to have an impeccable sense of fashion. Don’t be fooled by her camera, because she isn’t just a photographer, but rather an essential part of Collegiate’s communications team. 

Craig was born and raised in Richmond and attended St. Michael’s Episcopal School and St. Gertrude High School before heading to college at Randolph-Macon College. In high school, she played field hockey and danced competitively, later joining the dance team at Randolph-Macon.

When I met Craig during the International Emerging Leaders Conference, I immediately picked up on her charismatic personality. I was shocked when she revealed that she was very shy throughout her childhood, and she believes she did not come out of her shell until college. She credits her boost in confidence and self-expression to her sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta, which also granted her many opportunities for leadership, such as being Vice President of Public Relations for the Panhellenic Council. As Vice President, Craig singlehandedly ran their website and social media accounts and planned all of Randolph-Macon University’s Greek Week.

At Randolph-Macon, Craig majored in communications because she “really liked PR.” During college, she began to work part time at Cristo Rey, a Catholic college preparatory high school in Richmond’s Museum District, which had just been established at the time of her hiring. Craig mainly focused her energy on their admissions programs and development, helping the school to quickly gain attention and flourish. After graduating, Craig took a job at EAB, an education consulting firm. Craig enjoyed working in a nine-to-five corporate environment, especially while doing what she loved, education marketing, specifically higher education email marketing. 

Have you ever had college emails sent to your inbox? Craig helped make that possible! 

After her corporate job, Craig wanted to go back to a K-12 environment, which is when she found Collegiate in 2021. Craig wanted to expand on what she did at her previous job at Cristo Rey and focus on social media coordination and marketing. 

When asked about working on Collegiate’s Communications team, Craig raved about her colleagues and wonderful work environment. She described the office as a “team that helps teach each other” and says that “everyone works together to help each other grow and make great content for the school.” Moreover, Craig said that she feels that even though she is not a student, she still has the opportunity to learn, saying “one of our values is the love of learning– and faculty and staff get it, too.” She describes Collegiate as an environment where “everyone is so friendly, which I have never experienced in a job before.”

So as a social media coordinator, what does Craig’s day-to-day schedule look like?

She begins by looking at school and divisional calendars, marking down events to attend, and getting some emails taken care of. Craig is sure to connect with all three divisions, Lower, Middle, and Upper School, so she can experience being with the kids, teachers, faculty, and staff whenever she can. The beauty of her job is that she can see everything that is going on at Collegiate and meet so many different people, but this is also one of the most difficult aspects of her profession. Craig describes one of the hardest parts of her job as trying to showcase as many of the amazing things going on at Collegiate as she can. “We have so many talented people and incredible lessons in the classroom that it’s hard to feature it all!”

When documenting daily life at Collegiate, Craig wants to show “joy, sense of community, and love of learning.” She loves photographing classroom settings and genuine connections between all students, especially Kindergarten and Senior buddy events. Craig loves the school, the people, and the values, and works to display what Collegiate is at its core through her photography and social media. 

Some highlights of her time at Collegiate so far include attending the International Emerging Leaders Conference (IELC), going to Houston for the Robotics competition in spring 2022, going on field trips, and documenting many of our other traditions. Her favorite traditions are the 2nd Grade States Fair, Brunch (which she hopes to be more involved with in the future), and all things Kindergarten, especially the Senior/Kindergartener pairings and their adorable little totes. 

Outside of Collegiate, Craig enjoys exploring Richmond, traveling, golfing, cooking, pilates, and attending all live events, including concerts, plays, and sporting events. You will likely find her at any University of Richmond and VCU game, and she is one of the Richmond Flying Squirrels’ most enthusiastic fans.

Craig is a joy to be around and one of the people who you should thank for running all of Collegiate’s social media accounts and highlighting the people and events that strengthen our community every day online. The next time you see her around campus, compliment her outfit (she will always be rocking something cool), ask her about her thoughts on carbonated drinks, or tell her about something that you enjoy at school that she should see next—she will always be eager to hear about your thoughts and experiences at Collegiate. 

All photos by Keller Craig.