Maeve Kirby standing in front of Blue Ridge Residence Hall, where her office is located on Nov. 6, 2020. Photo by Lili Stapel.
Maeve Kirby has been a Residential Case Manager for WCU Residential Living for four years and her job is to help.
Before COVID-19, Kirby would regularly reach out to students and meet with them in-person to get to know them, hear about their experiences and offer support and connections to resources on campus. Because Kirby’s position revolves around connecting with students she has been greatly impacted by COVID-19, but she has not let that hold her back. This school year she is offering Zoom calls and other virtual events for students, to offer as much support as possible.
“When you boil down this position it’s just someone to say ‘Hey, how are you doing as a person? How is that supporting or in conflict with your identity as a student? How can we celebrate your victories or maybe help you build a ladder out of the hole you may be finding yourself in?’” said Kirby.
Kirby takes her position personally, believing the way she is invited into student’s lives through her position is a privilege and has been very impressed by the resiliency of students, especially during this pandemic.
“I always say that I have three passions in life: people, service, and laughter. And the Residential Case Manager position really lets me work with all three of those in a professional setting,” said Kirby.
Maeve Kirby in a one-on-one meeting with Lili Stapel on November 2, 2020.
Kirby’s personal dedication to her job has inspired others within residential living as well. Kirby’s colleagues Zach Moffett, Graduate Community Coordinator for Blue Ridge Residence Hall, and Taylor Dodge, Area Coordinator in Balsam Residence Hall, describe her as a hard-working and empathetic person who makes them strive to be better themselves.
“Maeve says her 3 values are ‘people, service, and laughter.’ I’ve watched her live these out and have resonated with them myself by observing what they mean to her. She’s impacted me personally and professionally because she has always been a listening ear and offered insights. Sometimes she helps me process a problem. Sometimes she lets me vent. But she’s always been my cheerleader. She makes me feel seen and I hope I can return the favor for her,” said Dodge.
Before coming to Western, Kirby was a graduate student at Indiana University of Pennsylvania getting her degree in student affairs in higher education. She applied to WCU through a Student Affairs conference, and when she visited for her interview, she fell in love with Western and the sea of purple.
“The student body was engaged – they were active, campus was beautiful. The staff and faculty wanted to be here, they cared about their students, and that philosophy of care was just so evident and I knew I wanted to be a part of it,” said Kirby.
Kirby chose the student affairs profession because she wanted to be involved in student’s lives in higher education and help make the student experience more positive for everyone. Because her position gives her the opportunity to have such close proximity to students and allows her to be herself in a professional setting, she is not sure of her future plans yet. For now, she is taking her time enjoying the experiences that residential living and WCU give her, and is very thankful to be a part of it.
