It's a quiet Monday morning at Javvy Coffee in Mount Pleasant, where Mary-Reagan Keeter settles into her office as a team of editors works nearby. It's the kind of fast-paced creative environment she says Trident Tech prepared her for.
“Trident Technical College really gave me the experience I knew I wasn't going to get anywhere else. The classes were different than anything I had taken at a university before, very hands-on and personalized. Very much like, ‘You go out, you show us what you can do, and we'll critique it,’ which is what happens in the real world.”
At 24, Mary-Reagan is a lifelong Mount Pleasant resident. She has lived in the same house her entire life, growing up with her parents and brother, with whom she still plays bluegrass music in her spare time. After graduating from Wando High School in 2020, she enrolled at the College of Charleston during the COVID-19 pandemic. She struggled with the transition to dorm life and the isolation of online classes. After one semester, she knew she needed something different and withdrew.
“Getting the taste of university and realizing that it wasn't for me was a big shock to my system,” she admits. “It was really tough for me to come to the conclusion that I'm not going to be like everybody else and I'm going to figure something else out for myself.”
She spent the next semester regrouping while working as a barista at Brown Fox Coffee in Mount Pleasant.
“I've always loved editing videos,” she says. “For a while, I thought that was just going to be my hobby. But then I started doing social media at Brown Fox, and I realized this is something I could do full-time while refining my skills in editing. I could go to Trident for two years and get hands-on experience in post-production. With the two-year degree, you can spend way less money and a lot less time, and it offered the one-on-one experience I was really looking for.”
When she joined Trident Tech's Film and Media Arts Department as a post-production major in 2021, Mary-Reagan says she struggled with imposter syndrome. She wasn't sure she had what it took to succeed. But she was willing to try and quickly discovered her professors were supportive and encouraging. As her skills grew, they also helped connect her with internships at several local companies, giving her valuable hands-on experience in the field.
“I'm definitely more confident in myself now than I was before,” she says. “All of my professors were really amazing, giving me great feedback and constructive criticism that helped me grow as a video editor and as a professional. Randy Grimes and Mark Bradley are some of the best professors I've ever had, and I still keep in touch with them to this day. "
Her time at Trident Tech also taught her how to balance competing demands.
“The amount I had to do in college to balance school, internships and work trained me for what it's like to actually have a 9-to-5 job and a life outside of that. I don't think I would've gotten to this point if I hadn't gone to Trident.”
Today, Mary-Reagan serves as content lead at Javvy Coffee, a role she describes as “super fast-paced.” Her enthusiasm makes it clear she thrives on the unique challenges of working for a rapidly growing startup. This year, Javvy Coffee ranked No. 327 on The Inc. 5000, Inc. Magazine’s annual list of the fastest-growing private companies in America.
“You have to adapt and put forth as much effort as you can. We're doing a lot of fun projects and launching new things every other day,” she explains. “The challenging part is that things can change very quickly, especially in the paid ads department where I am right now."
This past summer, Mary-Reagan attended a trade show in Des Moines, Iowa, to support the company's sales team. When weather-related travel restrictions prevented the rest of the team from attending, she suddenly found herself representing Javvy Coffee alone. It was only the second trade show of her career.
“I knew in that moment that it was just me, and I needed to turn it on. I was going to take all the emotion out of it and just do it. And it was a very successful weekend. It was super fun and rewarding. I went viral on LinkedIn!”
She laughs, looking proud and a little surprised by the admission, before acknowledging how stressful the experience was at the time.
“I don't think I would've been able to adapt as quickly as I did had I not gone to Trident. The experiences we had on set, in our program and in the fast-paced classes prepared me for that situation.”
Randy Grimes, a veteran educator who has worked at Trident Tech for more than 29 years and currently serves as department head of the Film and Media Arts Department, agrees with her assessment.
He describes Mary-Reagan as “a go-getter, very confident, hard-working, dependable
and someone who was not afraid of challenges nor to grow.”
Because of those qualities, he encouraged her to apply for the 2022-23 South Carolina Broadcasters Association Scholarship, which she won.
“She exceeded the qualifications for the scholarship,” he says. “All around, she was someone who I wanted not only to get the scholarship, but also to represent the college.”
For Mary-Reagan, the scholarship meant something beyond financial support.
“When I got that scholarship,” Mary-Reagan says, “I realized this was a college that really did care about me and my journey.”
This year, Grimes also invited her to join the Film and Media Arts Advisory Committee, where industry professionals work alongside department faculty to help shape curriculum and ensure graduates are prepared for today's workforce.
“Mary-Reagan is someone who has done it all,” he says. “I chose her to be on our Advisory Committee because she has expertise in being on a traditional film set, in editing and in social media."
Then, he sums her up more simply. “She's just gold. You couldn't meet a nicer person. It's students like Mary-Reagan Keeter that make you want to teach. As an educator, I always tell my students, ‘Once you get out there, you don't owe me anything. Just turn around and help the next student coming behind you who is trying to do what you've done.’”
And Mary-Reagan is doing exactly that.
She participated in her first advisory committee meeting this past August, giving her the opportunity to help guide the future of the program. One day, she would like to establish a scholarship for students who, like she once was, are “unsure of what their path is supposed to be.”
Reflecting on her growth since attending Trident Tech, Mary-Reagan shares, “I can truly say with confidence that those two years at Trident shaped me into who I am today. I'm much more confident in myself. I am a hard worker. I can pivot. I am a better communicator.”
When asked to share her advice with current and future students, Mary-Reagan confidently replies, "You're in the right place. If anything, this is going to propel you even further than you thought, because you've chosen a non-traditional route for your education, one that is more hands-on, more intentional and more personal."