JACKSONVILLE, AL — As originally reported by Brett Buckner with JSU’s media department, Jacksonville State University alumnus Slava Katliarou has established a new endowed scholarship honoring longtime International House director Dr. John J. Ketterer and his wife, Ivania, recognizing their influence on generations of students.
The Dr. John J. and Ivania Ketterer Cultural Outreach Endowed International House Scholarship will support an International House student who demonstrates a commitment to cultural outreach, including building connections across cultures, encouraging mutual respect and bringing diverse communities together.
The scholarship reflects the International House’s founding motto: “Know one another, and you will love one another.”
Katliarou, who lived in the International House from 2008 to 2012, said the program and the Ketterers played an important role in his experience at Jax State.
“It just felt like the time was right,” Katliarou said. “They’ve deserved it for a long time, and I’m just thankful that I could do this small thing for them. But it’s not really about me. It’s about them.”
The scholarship comes as the International House approaches its 80th anniversary.
“The whole idea is I just wanted to give back,” Katliarou said. “The 80th anniversary is coming up, and I was like, ‘That would be a good time to do something like this to honor Dr. K.’ Because he had a big impact on so many students’ lives.”
Ketterer became executive director of the International House during the 2000 academic year and remained in the position until his retirement in July 2014.
During his tenure, Ketterer said he moved the International House away from an extensive set of rules and toward a single guiding principle: “Respect the house.”
“That evolved with me to mean that you respect the values of the house, and the people in it,” Ketterer said. “That means everyone. No one is excluded.”
That philosophy extended to accommodating students’ cultural and religious practices and encouraging residents to learn from people with backgrounds different from their own.
“A young person who comes to the International House does not go there to be mediocre,” Ketterer said. “They go there because they want a challenge, and they want to meet new people. People with that kind of curiosity are almost always great students.”
Ketterer said his wife, Ivania, who is from Nicaragua, was also an integral part of the International House community.
“It’s not really just me but also Ivania,” he said. “I mean, we truly ran the house together. We were a team.”
The couple frequently helped students dealing with illnesses, injuries, family losses and other challenges. Students recovering from accidents or medical emergencies sometimes stayed in the Ketterers’ guest room, while others sought their advice as they adjusted to college life and living in a new country.
“My door was always open to students,” Ketterer said.
Ketterer’s involvement with the International House began after he joined Jacksonville State in 1999. He volunteered as a translator for a group of professors traveling to the Autonomous University of the Yucatan in Mexico, an experience that eventually contributed to his selection to lead the International House.
Ketterer credits university leadership with supporting the program during and after his tenure, including former Jax State President Dr. William A. Meehan and current President Dr. Don C. Killingsworth Jr.
For Katliarou, the International House became both a home and an early training ground for leadership.
A native of Belarus, Katliarou arrived at Jacksonville State in 2008 at age 18, following his older brother. After his first year, he became a resident assistant.
“I’m very thankful to him for that,” Katliarou said of Ketterer. “I learned a lot from him about how to deal with people and how to be a leader.”
Katliarou earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Jax State in 2012 and a master’s degree in biology in 2016. The university named him its Young Alum of the Year in 2026.
He previously taught as an adjunct instructor at Jax State and later worked as a senior GIS analyst and cartographer at Transglobal Services in Fort Worth, TX. He went on to establish Coosa Consulting, a full-service land surveying company.
Katliarou relocated to Gadsden in 2023, where he and his wife also opened Petite Play, an indoor playground for children ages 10 and younger.
“Dr. Ketterer and the International House gave me the leadership skills I needed to deal with people,” Katliarou said. “They helped me become the person I am today.”
Katliarou remains involved with Jax State as a member of the International House Foundation Board and continues charitable work through his business and community involvement.
He said the relationships formed through the International House have continued well beyond graduation.
“I had a great time, made a bunch of friends, and these are people that I still talk to,” Katliarou said. “It’s the kind of community that continues even after you leave and graduate.”
For Katliarou, establishing the scholarship is another extension of a philosophy that has stayed with him.
“The more you give, the more you get,” he said. “It always comes back.”
