Have You Met…Keely Fernandez?

Welcome to UT Permian Basin!  Get ready to hear that phrase a lot as we implement the new Falcon Welcome Center.  Located on the first floor of the Mesa Building, this is the first step to help future students and community guests get the information they need about our campus.  We’re excited to welcome Keely Fernandez as our new Welcome Center Coordinator.  Read the following Q&A to get to know Keely and learn more about our plans for the Falcon Welcome Center.

Q1:  Tell us about your educational and professional background.

I first attended Angelo State University as a First Generation college student and had no idea what I wanted to do or what major I wanted to pursue. This is always very scary when everyone around you seems to know what they want to be! I finally found my way to Communications and realized I had found “my people.”  I was so close to graduating with my bachelor’s degree, when my husband got a job here in Midland. I was lucky to find UT Permian Basin and I graduated in December 2016! Through my adventures of finding out what I wanted to study, I was a Resident Assistant for three years and an Orientation Leader for a summer. I knew I loved being able to encourage and inspire college students, especially first generation students! I also did an internship for a college ministry at ASU.

Q2: What will you be doing at UT Permian Basin?

I am so honored to have been chosen as the new Welcome Center Coordinator. UTPB has so many opportunities for growth and I’m ready to dream big! I will be leading a team of student workers, helping them give campus tours to potential and admitted students and their families. We also give group tours to students from schools all across the Permian Basin - from kindergarten up to high school age. We have become a calling center for students and prospective students, and we direct them to the right place and the right person who can help them succeed. My dream is to help continue to make this campus a place that students call home. I want to help encourage students, faculty, and staff to use our own resources to create an unbelievable campus and something we, as a team, are proud of!

Q3: What do you love most about the role you play with students/staff/faculty?

I love that the Welcome Center, potentially, is the first thing that people see when looking into UTPB. My favorite part is being able to lock arms with faculty, staff, and students to brainstorm and create new ways to make this campus great for all who join us. There are so many opportunities here: we have talented students, superb athletes, high success rates for graduates who land excellent jobs, and talented professors within each college. We literally have students from all over the world who attend UTPB. The campus is beautiful and we have so many new things coming our way with our awesome President, Dr. Woodley leading the way. The sky is the limit for all of us!

Q4: How can students, faculty and staff take advantage of your expertise?

I love hearing from other dreamers who share their ideas for this campus. We do campus tours daily and it’s our job to point out the best of the best in our faculty, staff, students, and campus. If you have things you would like to share please contact me at 432-552-2605 or email me at Fernandez_k@utpb.edu, and of course come by the Welcome Center to say hello! We are located on the first floor of the Mesa Building in the common area.