LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Diane Blackwood Keller was nominated by Janice Miller, a family member.

Ms. Keller has been a dedicated educator for 40 years. She graduated from the University of Texas in Austin with a Bachelor's degree in Health and Physical Education. She also earned a Master's degree from Texas A & I University in Mid-Management/Administration.

Throughout her career, Coach Keller has been a role model for her students and a mentor to many student-teachers. Her career in education began as a teacher and coach at Jackson Middle School. She coached volleyball, basketball, and track. She started and ran the physical education program at St. Thomas Episcopal School for seven years. She has been an educator in NEISD for 33 years. 

Coach Keller opened up Wilderness Oak Elementary School and has been there ever since. As an elementary PE instructor, Coach Keller teaches every student at her school. Her enthusiasm, energy for teaching, and love for her students are on display every day. She teaches various activities that instill students with lifetime skills, such as the importance of exercising, stretching and warm-ups, building self-confidence, kindness, and good sportsmanship. Coach Keller has positively impacted her students by making it fun for them to be active. Students enjoy PE class!

Coach Keller has participated with students in the Jump Rope for Heart and the Go Kids Go programs. She focuses on students' individual health issues, especially Type 1 diabetes. She receives help from the school nurse with monitoring numbers and having juice available for those individuals.

When she's not teaching, she serves as the safety patrol sponsor and greets students by name at the car drop-off each morning. She has also taken numerous leadership roles, including grade level coordinator, district PE showcase choreographer, curriculum committee member, and PE coordinator for the Reagan Cluster of schools.

Coach Keller has stayed active in the TAPHER association at the summer and winter conferences. She is highly respected among her peers, and she has presented ten times over the years. She was also selected as a Lifetime Member of the PTA for her active role with students, parents, and teachers.

While teaching and doing her job, she was actively involved as a single parent of two children in school. They participated in sports and orchestra, and she still goes to their events!

"Coach Keller is a truly inspiring and devoted educator! She has positively impacted both her colleagues and students," said Miller.