Walking away from this interview, I knew I had made a new friend. I have my suspicion that Cheryl Keeran makes everyone feel that way when they are around her. That is why this week’s IYW spotlight belongs to her.
When Cheryl graduated as one of the youngest in the beauty school in 1989, she went right to work. Then, in 1997, she opened her own salon which eventually moved into her home in Catlin. “My clients are the best mentors I have,” Cheryl said with a huge smile. “They make me realize that I’m not the only one in a predicament. They are family.”
Not only does Cheryl do hair, but she has a photography business, teaches dance, and substitute teaches. “When someone needs something, I do it,” she said when asked why she has so many jobs. When there was an empty dance studio at Roselawn, she started teaching dance. When there was a substitute teaching shortage during the worst time in the pandemic, she became a substitute teacher. Cheryl is someone who simply does what she can to make sure people around her are doing ok.
Through these ventures, Cheryl is soon to be opening her own dance studio in the former Catlin IGA building. Her list of kids who want to participate is pages upon pages. “Things come full circle. I want to be able to help a kid and let them dream. I am dedicating myself to that.”
Cheryl loves her small town and the giving people in it. When her four children were young, (her youngest at only 3 months old), her husband was diagnosed with cancer. She had a 5th grader and three kids under the age of 5. “I didn’t know what to do. And then people just showed up.” Through local teachers, the church, and complete strangers, they got through it. They had only lived in Catlin for a year.
Cheryl’s husband is now 15 years cancer free, and Cheryl gives everything she can back to her family and her community. At Halloween, she decorates the inside of her home like a haunted house for kids to tour. At Christmas, she built and displays a huge Grinch whose heart grows bigger when children post his picture on social media. She takes pictures (for free) at the Catlin Christmas parade, the Festival of Trees, etc.
Cheryl’s advice is, “Listen to the elders. Deeply listen. They really have a lot to say. They have a lot of knowledge, and I hope people say that about me some day.”
Cheryl, thank you for being a friend to everyone you encounter, and thank you for your giving heart. We are blessed to have you as a part of our local community.
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