Mentor Spotlight: Maureen Kiley
When Maureen Kiley moved to Fayetteville more than 50 years ago, she had no idea that her life would become deeply intertwined with the educational legacy of the Ursuline Sisters of Brown County. It started out slowly as she brought her three young children with her while she attended classes at the former Chatfield College. She remembers the first time she drove down the lane to the Brown County Campus feeling a sense of “the Holy” – of welcome, protection, and acceptance – something she later attributed to the charisms of the Ursuline Sisters.
Then along came Sr. Agatha, OSU, who started out as a teacher for one of her counseling classes and ended up becoming a lifelong mentor. Maureen believes that prayer and the Holy Spirit led her to a career of child and family counseling, with support along the way from Sr. Agatha.
“The Ursulines were welcoming and accepting of everyone. I never felt judged and always experienced understanding and love,” she said. “I wouldn’t be where I am today without the Ursulines.”
Focusing on Supporting Families and Communities
After graduating with her associate degree from Chatfield College, Maureen earned a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts from Xavier University and a Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling from The Athenaeum of Ohio. Her professional career included working at Camelot Community Care in Hamilton County and Child Focus in Clermont and Brown Counties.
“I worked with the most vulnerable students and their families, supporting them in using the resources given to them,” she said. “You can hand people resources, but they don’t always know what to do with them.”
Throughout her career, she remained connected to the Ursulines and eventually agreed to serve on the boards of Chatfield College and The Chatfield Edge. As an alum, it was difficult for her to watch Chatfield College close in 2022, but she took her cues from the Ursulines.
“I saw Sr. Patricia holding things in the palm of her hand in prayer and knew I would support her,” she said. “I now feel confident that where we are going is a good plan. We are growing and need to continue to pray.”
Continuing the Legacy
She is pleased that The Chatfield Edge is continuing the Ursulines’ mission to support education and the spiritual well-being of students. After recently retiring (for the second time), Maureen is taking the leap to embrace Chatfield’s mission more deeply as a mentor, hoping to give back some of the hospitality, kindness, caring, and love that Sr. Agatha has given to her.
“She was always there and available. I showed up at her door and didn’t have to say anything. She knew we needed to talk,” Maureen recalled. “Sr. Agatha and the Ursulines always received me with what psychologist Carl Rogers referred to as ‘unconditional positive regard.’”
Maureen hopes to use her own experience as a first-generation college student, her professional background in counseling, and the modeling she received from the Ursulines to help Chatfield’s scholars navigate the challenges they face in pursuing education. She also hopes that she will carry on the Ursuline legacy and that the students she mentors will feel the unconditional positive regard that she has experience for the last 50 years.
The Chatfield Edge is growing and needs more mentors to accompany its first-generation and non-traditional students who are enrolled in college, trade school, and certificate programs. We provide training for our mentors who meet with students about four times each semester to encourage them along their path to gain success in life through education. To find out more or to sign up to be a mentor, contact David Hesson, Director of Programs, at david.hesson@chatfieldedge.org or call 513 875 3344 x 115.
