Robin Reed Kier, Missouri Southern Homecoming Queen of 1986, attributes not only her royal victory to her time as a student employee at Southern, but also credits Southern with launching her successful career.

 “I worked in financial aid,” she said. “I think that is why I won Homecoming Queen, because everyone knew me from financial aid.”

Kier was nominated for the royal title by the Student Education Association and Council for Exceptional Children. She said she never expected to win.

“I was extremely surprised, extremely,” she said. “It was just very humbling and I learned from it that being a good, kind person can pay off as opposed to being popular.”

After she graduated in 1987 with a bachelor of science degree in elementary education, she looked back fondly on her time working at Southern and decided to apply for a job at Crowder College in Neosho. She was hired as the first admissions counselor at the college and has been there ever since.

She worked on the main campus, where she found herself doing a number of different jobs from school recruitment to passing out advice, all the way to working with the student government.

“I wear many hats; there’s not much I don’t do,” she said.

She chose to move to Cassville with her two children in 2000 to start a full service site at the smaller, more intimate campus. Crowder’s total enrollment is 5845, while the Cassville location is home to approximately 500 students.

“I love that I know all the students,” Kier said.

 Her career as student service coordinator is just a small part of Kier’s life, though.

“I met the love of my life at 40,” she said.

Between her husband Don and herself, Kier has four children and five grandchildren. With a retirement planned for July 1, 2015, Kier plans to take the time to enjoy her family.

“I want to farm and enjoy my grand kids,” she said.

Even with retirement in her near future, Kier still finds quite a bit of joy in her Southern-inspired career at Crowder.

“Being able to make a difference in people’s lives is such a blessing,” she said.