EPCHS Alum In The Spotlight: Kylee Keeton, Class Of 2013

EVERGREEN PARK, IL — A west suburban hair salon owner was one of Evergreen Park Community High School’s most involved students in the early 2010s, and remained heavily involved in one of the students’ favorite yearly events well into her career.

Kylee Keeton, EPCHS Class of 2013, is the owner of the hairAF salon suite in Countryside, opening the space just as COVID-19 restrictions were being lifted in 2020.

“It has been an absolute dream to have my own creative space that is unapologetically me and to have such amazing people in my life,” Keeton said. “I have the best job because it doesn’t feel like one at all!”

Keeton attended Cameo Beauty Academy immediately after her EPCHS graduation. She then worked at a Hair Cuttery while studying business management at Moraine Valley Community College and returned to Cameo to earn her license to be a cosmetology instructor.

She had stops at Floyd’s Barbershop, and another Hair Cuttery as a manager, before opening hairAF.

“Very early in my career I knew that I wanted to have my own salon so I began to build my books by doing great hair and having even better personal connections with the amazing people I get to call my clients!” Keeton said. “It’s astonishing to me that I have people who have followed me to every shop since beauty school!”

Until opening hairAF, Keeton was a regular at EPCHS’ Snowball retreats. As a leader, she would often hold breakout sessions regarding various cosmetology topics. It was a way for her to give back to a school she remains extremely proud of nearly a decade after graduation.

“I had such a fun time at EPCHS, but there is nothing better than the strong sense of community I felt,” Keeton said.

In addition to Snowball, Keeton was involved in the National Honor Society, SADD and volleyball.

One of her favorite memories unfolded during a gym class her senior year.

“Coach (Bruce) Scaduto had always given me, jokingly, a hard time about disliking the pacer so much, so myself and a group of friends decided to be ‘gym class heroes’ and we would try extra hard at every sport and be overzealously cheering and sideline coaching any games,” Keeton remembers. “It made gym class so much fun and the whole class really got into it! I almost beat Scaduto at badminton too! It was epic!”

It was during her EPCHS years when Keeton confirmed her desire for a career in hair. She was in Guatemala on a Mission trip through her family church with Mission El Faro.

“I fell in love with working in the tent we called the beauty salon!,” Keeton said. “We did lice treatments, washed their hair, painted nails, did different styles/braids, and got to chat with them and learn about their lives in Guatemala. I absolutely loved making people feel beautiful inside and out and knew it was the job for me!”

Members of the EPCHS Class of 2013 were particularly tight-knit. Even before they walked through the doors as freshmen, the group had overcome unspeakable grief.

Keeton remembers the tragedy that was the loss of Joseph Lee, one of her 8th grade classmates at Central Junior High School. Joseph died of heart failure while playing basketball at the Village of Evergreen Park Activity Center in 2008.

“I think that influenced how we interacted with each other immensely,” Keeton said. “It brought us a lot closer and definitely impacted how I interacted with everyone else around me. I even had a lot of strong bonds with the faculty members and still talk to most of them today.”

Advice For Current EPCHS Students

Believe in yourself. Do the work to be the best you that you can be. Set goals and make it happen. Thankfully high school isn’t forever, but the foundation you lay is what is going to support you when it’s over. Be kind to one another and most importantly yourself! Use all of the resources you can to help you get through it. Don’t be afraid to ask for help -physically, emotionally and mentally! And go to as many games and dances as you can! High school was so much more bearable being involved!