Keynote speaker brings regional roots, real-world advice to OHIO Southern graduation ceremony

When Stephan Harris walks to the podium at this year’s Graduation Recognition Ceremony at Ohio University Southern, it will be more than a professional milestone—it will be a homecoming nearly two decades in the making.

Harris, who will deliver the keynote address at the May 1 ceremony, is manager of Workforce Development at UK King’s Daughters and an Ohio University alumnus. His professional journey spans business ownership, newspaper management, and higher education outreach, but it began with a summer enrollment at OHIO Southern shortly after high school.

A Chesapeake native and first-generation college student, Harris credits his time at the University with helping him find his footing—and his future. He worked as a student ambassador, got involved in campus life, and eventually transitioned into staff roles that introduced him to recruiting, community engagement, and donor relations.

“Working at OHIO was more than a job—it was the start of a career,” he said. “I was surrounded by professionals who showed me what it meant to lead with purpose and give back.”

Though life events paused his academic journey before he completed his degree, Harris never forgot the value of that early experience. He went on to manage circulation at The Daily Independent in Ashland, launched and led a successful insurance business for more than a decade, and eventually returned to finish what he started—earning his bachelor’s degree in Applied Management nearly 20 years after his first college class.

Today, Harris is enrolled in the Master of Public Administration program at Ohio University’s Dublin campus and continues to deepen his connection to the institution. His wife, Chelsea, serves as the coordinator of School of Nursing Operations at OHIO Southern, and their son, Cameron, may one day be a Bobcat, too.

Now leading the Workforce Institute at UK King’s Daughters, Harris helps students and adults across more than 50 schools explore healthcare careers and hands-on training. His work has helped shape how regional healthcare systems respond to workforce needs, and his civic involvement reflects the same commitment. Harris currently serves on the boards of TENCO Workforce, United Way of Northeast Kentucky, Kiwanis of Greater Ironton, and Ironton aLive, among others.

The opportunity to speak at graduation, he said, is both humbling and surreal.

“I think back to the earlier version of myself, sitting in the audience at a ceremony like this,” he said. “It’s hard to believe I’d be the one standing up front.”

He hopes to leave graduates with a message of persistence, humor, and real-world wisdom—touching on everything from career detours and lifelong learning to the importance of simply asking questions.

“Don’t be afraid to talk to someone who’s doing the thing you hope to do,” Harris said. “Whether it’s a career path, a service project, or a local organization, just start the conversation. You don’t need permission to get involved.”

Ohio University Southern will celebrate its fall 2024, spring 2025 and summer 2025 graduates during the Graduation Recognition Ceremony on Thursday, May 1. The ceremony begins at 7 p.m. in Shafer Courtyard.