Meet NVS Alumni Ronan Keenan, Class of 2017
May 28, 2025 | by Sam Wilder
Pictured here and below is some of Ronan’s recent work—a tent and a series of hand-sewn coats—created as part of his evolving journey as a fashion designer. Below, Ronan reflects on how his time at the New Village School continues to shape his creative path:
“My name is Rónan Keenan, and I’m a product design major at the University of Oregon, graduating this spring. This past summer, I studied abroad at Central Saint Martins in London, where I took fashion design courses and interned for a London-based designer. I'm currently interning at Gnuhr, an ultralight backpacking company based in Portland, where my focus has been on apparel design. After graduation, I’m excited to continue working in fashion and apparel design and I am looking forward to where things will take me.
As I’ve progressed through my program, I’ve come to realize that many of the values I hold both in design and in life can be traced back to my time at the New Village School. It feels like things have come full circle in many meaningful ways. This summer, for example, I stayed just around the corner from the hostel we visited during my class trip to Europe. My interest in natural dyes and sustainable design practices connects deeply to the principles I was introduced to at NVS. My first product design course brought me right back to Señor Salusso’s sixth grade drawing class, where I first learned perspective. And in a flatware design studio, I took my sophomore year, I hand-whittled a set of utensils just as I once did with Señor in middle school.
I’ve grown to really appreciate the opportunities NVS gave me to explore the world without the constant buzz of technology and instead with reverence and respect for the earth. I’m deeply grateful for all I learned during my time at the New Village School and believe it helped me develop a unique perspective and a strong sense of self.”
