![\"A](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Victoria-Keenan-main.png?resize=638%2C410&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
By Julie Cooper<\/em><\/p>\n Victoria Keenan found her dream degree program where she least expected. Now, she is willing to go to great lengths to bring about the future she knows is possible.<\/p>\n Victoria knew she wanted to pursue a college education but felt the options near her home in Cambridgeshire, England, were restrictive. While she considered the path ahead of her, she moved to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, with her family. There, she found her passion in the pages of an autobiography.<\/p>\n \u201cI was reading an autobiography of a lady named Sheila Kitzinger. She was quite well-known in the birth world, which is my profession,\u201d Victoria says. \u201cShe was talking about her work, and I didn\u2019t actually realize what her job was until I read this book. She was an anthropologist.\u201d<\/p>\n When the book signaled a connection between anthropology and natural childbirth, Victoria knew it was the missing link she had been looking for in her education.<\/p>\n With the newly discovered path in mind, she enrolled online with Oregon State University Ecampus \u2013 a national leader in online education \u2013 in the anthropology<\/a> bachelor\u2019s program with a minor in women, gender and sexuality studies<\/a>.<\/p>\n Victoria Keenan traveled with her family to Oregon State’s Corvallis campus, where she earned internship credits toward her degree through a research project and gained focus in her career goals.<\/p><\/div>\n It\u2019s just one stride toward an even greater dream: She plans to earn a Ph.D. and work directly with doulas (professionals who assist mothers during labor and after childbirth), birthing educators, midwives and obstetricians to conduct research that lends evidence to their traditional birthing knowledge and practices.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to figure out what the biggest issues are that are causing unnecessary harms, and then I want to find a way to avoid those harms,\u201d says Victoria, who is a mother, doula, prenatal teacher and reflexologist.<\/p>\n For Victoria, the route to better care involves a feminist approach to birth work, which she informs with her complementary fields of study.<\/p>\n \u201cSo often, I\u2019m able to refer to things in an Ecampus anthropology class that I learned about in women\u2019s studies classes,\u201d she says. \u201cI find that whatever class I\u2019m in, there will be some analysis or discussion that I can\u2019t help relating to my experiences as a birth worker.<\/p>\n \u201cI end up connecting all of these things, and I think that will enable me to be a better birth worker \u2013 having that insight I wouldn\u2019t otherwise have had.\u201d<\/p>\n Victoria knew an online degree program in anthropology would allow her the flexibility to care for her children and travel with her family. She considered course content, platforms for delivery and university reputations in her decision, but what stood out most for Victoria was seeing her interests represented in Oregon State\u2019s faculty.<\/p>\n Oregon State anthropology associate professor Missy Cheyney, a licensed midwife and medical anthropologist, represented the possibilities for Victoria\u2019s future that she had been unable to find in any other university.<\/p>\n “No one in my family went to university, so I wanted to have someone there that could show me the ropes and help me understand it,” says Victoria, pictured here with internship mentor Missy Cheyney.<\/p><\/div>\n \u201cI saw that Missy was involved in research \u2013 she wasn\u2019t just a teacher, she was doing it,\u201d says Victoria. \u201cHaving someone I can look up to, follow her work and learn from her so specifically to what I\u2019m interested in, that\u2019s massively helpful.\u201d<\/p>\n This connection has helped Victoria put her research career on a fast track. She has eagerly begun to put knowledge into practice through internship opportunities on the Oregon State campus, despite the distance.<\/p>\n Although there\u2019s no requirement to do so in her degree program, Victoria has been fortunate to have already visited OSU\u2019s Corvallis campus twice, and plans to do so each summer until she graduates. In the summer of 2017, she traveled to Corvallis with her entire family to engage in research under Missy\u2019s guidance.<\/p>\n She spent her summer conducting interviews about birth experiences for an updated version of the book \u201cBirth as an American Rite of Passage,\u201d originally published in 1992 by Robbie Davis-Floyd.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery story was different, yet reflected what I have experienced as a mother and professionally as a doula,\u201d Victoria says. \u201cI gained focus, direction and confidence through working in research. The internship really cemented that research is what I want to be doing.\u201d<\/p>\n Knowing she has a long road ahead motivates Victoria to invest time and travel to make the most of her education. In the meantime, she is hard at work, joining a legacy of inspiring and empowered women who are paving the way.<\/p>\n Editor\u2019s note:<\/strong> Victoria completed her anthropology bachelor\u2019s degree requirements online and graduated from Oregon State University in spring 2021.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" <\/span> 4<\/span> minute read<\/span><\/span>Ecampus anthropology\/WGSS student Victoria Keenan is investing time and travel into her education, pursuing internship opportunities on the Oregon State campus, despite the distance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":769,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[673],"tags":[116,75,641],"class_list":["post-768","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archives","tag-anthropology","tag-college-of-liberal-arts","tag-languages-and-liberal-arts"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Victoria-Keenan-main.png?fit=638%2C410&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7BNSE-co","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":85,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/anthropology-award-winners\/","url_meta":{"origin":768,"position":0},"title":"Two anthropology students win major university awards","author":"Tyler Hansen","date":"May 18, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Mindy Proski and Aryn Sanderson are further proof that Oregon State's best and brightest learners study online as well as on campus. The two Ecampus anthropology students each earned high honors from OSU while learning at a distance.","rel":"","context":"In "Archives"","block_context":{"text":"Archives","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/archives\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Aryn-Sanderson-2015-ANTH-grad-web.jpg?fit=380%2C271&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":546,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/ecampus-ranked-1-liberal-arts\/","url_meta":{"origin":768,"position":1},"title":"Ecampus ranked #1 in U.S. for online liberal arts education","author":"Tyler Hansen","date":"July 13, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Oregon State is the best university in the nation when it comes to delivering a high-quality liberal arts education online, according to a new ranking released last month. Oregon State's College of Liberal Arts offers 11 bachelor\u2019s degrees and two master\u2019s programs online through OSU Ecampus, the university\u2019s distance education\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Archives"","block_context":{"text":"Archives","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/archives\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/osu-sign.jpg?fit=638%2C319&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/osu-sign.jpg?fit=638%2C319&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/osu-sign.jpg?fit=638%2C319&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1060,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/online-students-participate-in-on-campus-research-event\/","url_meta":{"origin":768,"position":2},"title":"Online students participate in on-campus research event, share their unique interests","author":"Heather Doherty","date":"November 5, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Oregon State online students participate in the on-campus research event, Celebrating Undergraduate Excellence, to advance their skills, career outlook and connect with the university.","rel":"","context":"In "Archives"","block_context":{"text":"Archives","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/archives\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Grace-Masterjohn-agricultural-sciences.jpg?fit=744%2C428&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Grace-Masterjohn-agricultural-sciences.jpg?fit=744%2C428&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Grace-Masterjohn-agricultural-sciences.jpg?fit=744%2C428&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Grace-Masterjohn-agricultural-sciences.jpg?fit=744%2C428&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1127,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/brenda-kellar-anthropology-online\/","url_meta":{"origin":768,"position":3},"title":"Anthropology in action explores complex human issues","author":"Julie Cooper","date":"February 27, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"\"I love finding practical ways to make students\u2019 goals a reality.\" Ecampus anthropology advisor and instructor Brenda Kellar has been a leader in the anthropology program since Oregon State first began offering the degree online, but as a three-time OSU alumna, her roots go even deeper.","rel":"","context":"In "All Stories"","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Brenda Kellar, Ecampus anthropology advisor. Brenda wears a pink floral patterned button-up shirt and has short gray hair. She is seated in front of a bookshelf across from a person to whom she is speaking.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/brenda-kellar-anthropology-degrees-online.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/brenda-kellar-anthropology-degrees-online.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/brenda-kellar-anthropology-degrees-online.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/brenda-kellar-anthropology-degrees-online.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1099,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/online-student-instructor-interaction\/","url_meta":{"origin":768,"position":4},"title":"Despite distance, online learners build lasting connections","author":"Julie Cooper","date":"January 17, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Oregon State University\u2019s online learners do what many say can\u2019t be done: form genuine connections in the digital classroom. 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Through innovation, iteration and integrity, these Ecampus partners take on life's biggest challenge: shaping this world's future through education.","rel":"","context":"In "All Stories"","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Screen-Shot-2021-05-05-at-8.42.41-AM.png?fit=1200%2C693&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Screen-Shot-2021-05-05-at-8.42.41-AM.png?fit=1200%2C693&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Screen-Shot-2021-05-05-at-8.42.41-AM.png?fit=1200%2C693&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Screen-Shot-2021-05-05-at-8.42.41-AM.png?fit=1200%2C693&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Screen-Shot-2021-05-05-at-8.42.41-AM.png?fit=1200%2C693&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/768","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=768"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/768\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/769"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=768"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=768"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=768"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Victoria](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Victoria-family-3.jpg?resize=250%2C250&ssl=1\")
Pairing traditional knowledge with a cutting-edge education<\/h3>\n
![\"Victoria](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Victoria-Missy.png?resize=250%2C250&ssl=1\")
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