Featured Testimonial About Creighton University
The arts teach far more than performance skills. They foster empathy, resilience, kindness and courage.
Kiley Melean, BFA’23, had barely considered attending Creighton. It was nowhere near the top of her list before she decided to apply and visit campus on a whim. But — as with countless initial Creighton encounters past — actually seeing the place and meeting the people made all the difference.
The faculty in the musical theatre program “were the most accepting and generous people I’d met when touring campuses,” Melean said. One professor even stepped out of class to give her a voice lesson and walk her through the performing arts building. “I knew then and there that this is the place I want to be.”
That sense of belonging only deepened during her time at Creighton. After graduating, Melean, a Chicago native, remained in Omaha, immersing herself in the theater scene, performing with the Omaha Community Playhouse, the BLUEBARN and Papillion Area Community Theatre.
Along the way, Melean found a new way to embrace her love of the arts, serving as the assistant show choir director at Russell Middle School. The team went undefeated during the competition season. But that’s not the only reason her involvement has been a deeply rewarding experience, she said.
“The arts teach far more than performance skills, Melean said. “They foster empathy, resilience, kindness and courage, qualities that can be especially important for students about to enter high school.
“Whether it’s a student unlocking a new skill in technique or growing in overall confidence, it’s incredible to see them shine.”
Melean credits her Creighton education for shaping how she approaches teaching. Even with more than 120 students, she strives to give individualized attention, living the Jesuit value of cura personalis.
When she was a student herself, Melean felt wholly cared for at Creighton.
In her freshman year, Melean’s acting teacher and mentor (associate professor Addie Barnhart, MFA) opened her mind to “more than I thought was possible.” When Melean was the lead in a Creighton stage production, her fellow cast and crew rallied around her when she suffered the devastating loss of her grandfather.
“I don’t think I could have completed the performance weekend without the love and support from the rest of the company.”
Melean keeps experiences like these close to her heart as she prepares for the next verse in her career, continuing her pursuit of acting. Whether she’s performing, teaching or simply living her life, she said, she carries Creighton with her always. It’s the place, after all, where she found her voice.
She’s so glad she made that fateful campus visit. If she hadn’t, her life might have carried a whole different tune.
