McKeever has an unusual way to stay connected to her family

by Taylor Yeley

Incoming freshman Shannon McKeever really cherishes her four tattoos and will use them as a reminder of her life before college.

“All of them mean something, and have a personal connection to me,” said McKeever. McKeever’s tattoos allow her to stay close to home because they resemble aspects of her family.

McKeever’s most important tattoo is one of a willow tree, located on her back. The tree represents her first home. “I wrote my college essay on this tree, and that shows how important it really is,” McKeever said.

She grew up in a home where her parents believed that tattoos carry a lot of meaning, and therefore encouraged McKeever to acquire tattoos as well. McKeever’s tattoos give her a reminder of her parents and always keep them close.

“These things will be apart of me forever and never leave my side, just like my parents,” said McKeever. She even shares a tattoo on her wrist of the word “family” with her mother. “Family” reminds her not only of her mother, but of all the relatives in her large family.

Her two other tattoos are roses on her left hip, and a quote on her ribs that states, “The ones who love us never really leave us.” She got the tattoo in memory of her deceased grandfather.

McKeever has obtained all four tattoos within the past two years. She received three of the tattoos at a parlor called “The Edge” in Connecticut, and the final tattoo at a parlor in Florida.

Next year Shannon will be attending Franklin Pierce University. She will major in communications with the hopes of becoming a journalist.