Keenan Named Jostens Rising Star Award Recipient

LUBBOCK, Texas – Women Leaders in College Sports announced Wednesday that Katy Keenan has been named a recipient of the 2020 Jostens Rising Star Award.

The Rising Star Award recognizes volunteers, interns, students (undergraduate/graduate), and part-time staff who are early in their career and demonstrate potential to make a significant leadership impact in the future. This award highlights members and non-members who have an interest in pursuing a career in athletics administration.

Keenan currently serves as a Graduate Assistant of Career and Student-Athlete Development with the J.T. & Margaret Talkington Leadership Academy. Keenan assists in the continued success of the Leadership Academy, including all programming under the four pillars of Character, Career, Wellness and Leadership.

Keenan works primarily with career development initiatives including the Suited for Success Career Series, which won the National Association of Academic and Student-Athlete Development Professionals "Model Practice Award" in 2019. She has also assisted with the implementation of a career development curriculum that has produced a job placement rate of over 90% of participants within one year of graduation.

In addition to the Career pillar, Keenan has played an integral role in supporting the Leadership Academy efforts on SAAC, Red and Black Give Back community service initiatives and the Wreck 'Em Prep summer bridge program.

Keenan receives the award after being nominated by her peers and selected by Women Leaders in College Sports for her professional excellence in 2019-20.

"I'm incredibly honored to receive the Jostens award," Keenan said. "I'm so thankful for this recognition and for all of the people who have influenced my journey as a student-athlete and young professional. I am so blessed to have the opportunity to serve the student-athletes at Texas Tech and make an impact on the student-athlete experience."

Keenan is one of three Jostens award recipients and is joined by Sable Lee, the Assistant Director of Student-Athlete Development at Clemson, and Cori Pinkett, the Assistant Athletics Director for Character Formation at Baylor. Lee served in the role of Coordinator of Student-Athlete and Staff Development at Texas Tech before arriving at Clemson.

"To receive the Josten's Award alongside Sable is a great honor. Sable has made an immense impact on me, not only as a professional, but as a person. She is one of the most passionate and dedicated individuals I know."

Keenan received her Bachelor's degree in Retail Management with a minor in Restaurant, Hotel, and Institutional Management from Texas Tech University in 2018. During that time, she was a four-year member of the women's volleyball team and led the team to their first post-season appearance since 2001. She is currently pursuing her Master of Sport Management at Texas Tech University and plans to graduate in the fall of 2020.

The Jostens award recipients will be honored alongside the recipients of the Nike Administrator of the Year and Nike Lifetime Achievement awards during the Nike Celebration of Women social media campaign and during the Nike Celebration of Women feature during Women Leaders X.

Keenan Named Jostens Rising Star Award Recipient

Related Videos