Meet Keri Karris, a nontraditional student at Marian University's Ancilla College. After earning a bachelor's degree in entomology from Purdue University in 1992, Keri has returned to the classroom to study social sciences, embracing a new chapter in her academic journey.
Following her time at Purdue, Keri began her career at the University of Notre Dame, where she managed a graduate biology lab. Her expertise quickly led her to the Indiana State Department of Health, where she worked as a medical entomologist, conducting field research on mosquito and tick-borne diseases in northern Indiana. After several years in public health, she and her husband pursued a shared passion—restoring historic homes. Together, they turned their hobby into a small business, renovating and living in each home they restored. Keri retired from that business in 2022.
Now, having more free time, she reflected on what would come next. Growing up in Chesterton, Indiana, she was familiar with our institution, as many of her high school classmates commuted here. Living in the local area, she decided in 2024 to return to the classroom, this time to study psychology. "Psychology is such a broad and deep science," Keri shares. She finds a unique connection with her classmates, as her daughter—close in age to many of them—is also in college.
Keri values the classroom experience, appreciating the perspectives of her classmates while contributing insights from her own life journey. She shares how much education has changed since her first college experience. She shares about a time when students relied on physical journal archives rather than digital research databases.
Reflecting on her return to college, Keri shares, "I truly believe that anyone can come back to college at any stage of life. The instructors and staff at Marian are here to guide students in so many ways." Retirement, she says, has given her the opportunity to learn for the joy of it, free from the pressures of work and daily stress.
Keri's classmates appreciate the perspective she brings to discussions and the classroom. She often gets inspiration from one of her favorite quotes by Eleanor Roosevelt, "Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift." She encourages others not to let fear or hesitation get in the way of new experiences, reminding us all that learning is a lifelong journey.