Despite retirement, Reyna Meyers' door remains open to Willamette community

Reyna Meyers, Willamette University's former Administrative Program Coordinator, in front of Eaton Hall on Sept. 2, 2025. Photo by Mac Childers.

Over the past two decades, humanities students and faculty called upon Reyna Meyers when they needed support. She was someone who kept her door on Eaton’s first floor open for anyone to come into. Meyers’ office door closed with her retirement on June 27, 2025, but her connection to Willamette will remain strong. 

Meyers started her career at Willamette in 2005 in the registrar department. From there, she transitioned between a few roles before finally settling down as the administrative program coordinator for the College of Arts and Sciences in 2017.

As admin, Meyers was a key factor in helping the departments and programs in the university flourish. She accomplished this by working behind the scenes, organizing events such as guest lectures, readings and symposiums. Meyers remarked that “if anything went wrong in an event, [she] was there.”

Meyers’ touch extended far past event facilitation: she helped faculty by making copies, scanning articles and books, and supporting faculty and students with grants for other faculty or to students. 

Meyers’ office was located in Eaton’s lobby, creating a tight bond between her and each of the departments and programs residing there. This tight relationship led to archaeology professor Scott Pike extending an invitation to Meyers to join him and his students on a summer program trip to Scotland in 2019 and 2023. The trips would end up being a favorite memory for Meyers. 

“I would be in the trenches digging with the students, having lunch breaks with them,” Meyers recalled fondly. “I would literally be with the students the whole time. It was so much fun and so engaging. … And when I came back the next academic year, I was able to convey what I learned and experienced with the students applying for the program the next year. If students shared interest in the program, people would say, ‘Talk to Reyna. She’s been there!’”

Meyers’ said her relationship with the faculty and students was filled with warmth and support. It was “genuine, heartfelt — they treated me like a co-partner, made me feel like I was part of the department. It was absolutely wonderful.” One of Meyers’ core beliefs was “no matter who the student is, I want to have a relationship with them. So with each of my students, I kept my office door open.” 

Meyers hoped that students would feel welcomed at all times to ask questions or talk. She held this sentiment for every student from every grade, including law school students. “Many of the students that came to the law school come from other professions. But the minute the people come back to school, they turn back into students who need support and someone to guide them. I always wanted to be that person.” 

Despite having retired, Meyers plans to stay affiliated with Willamette for a long time. She has continued her involvement in the Willamette Institute of Continued Learning (WICL), Phil Hanni Scholarship and the archaeology department as a volunteer. Whenever she finds herself back on campus, she is happy to stop to chat with students. 

“There’s absolutely nothing like being around students. They’ve always given me a certain energy.” Even after her retirement, Reyna Meyers’ door will be warmly open, for each and every student.