A typical day for Dr. Keys consists of teaching a full load of U.S. History classes and then mentoring history honor society scholars. Her walking tours and architectural teachings of the Ponce leave an incredible impression on her students. “The most rewarding times,” she says, “are when a student tells me they don’t like history, but really enjoyed my class.”
The journey to her current bliss started with a position as Director of the Regional Preservation office in St. Augustine. In this role, she was able to assist Flagler College in obtaining a sizable grant. The grant led to an introduction to Flagler president, Dr. Abare, and this meeting landed her a job as Executive Director of Ximenez-Fatio House Museum on Aviles Street.
“After some time at this position,” says Dr. Keys, “I was ready for another challenge. I began working full-time at Flagler as ‘the college’s first professional historic preservation staff member,’ while the college was restoring several buildings. Then, in 2009, I started a doctoral program in Historic Preservation at UF and wrote my dissertation on the Ponce.” Dr. Keys became a faculty member in 2012, graduated in 2013, and soon became the Director of Historic Preservation.
Dr. Keys has been in St. Augustine for twenty years and says, “The remarkable architecture, the pedestrian scale, access to the water, creativity, and the ability to meet extraordinary people are all incubators for amazing action.”
You can visit Flagler College online at www.flagler.edu. Photography by Brian Miller.
