Kendall Kelley landed at ETSU by default. “I was late in applying everywhere else, and ETSU is the first place that accepted me,” he said. That was in 2006, but he is quick to assure that he was ready for the challenge of college, wherever he ended up.

Now, a junior majoring in journalism, Kendall feels that ETSU is a perfect fit for him, especially since his only brother and his girlfriend have joined him here.

Kendall had lived his entire life in Chattanooga with his family. He attended a Church of Christ school from grades six through 12 and grew up playing soccer alongside his brother, Patty, who is now an ETSU freshman, starting here in fall 2008. The brothers remain close, Kendall said, especially after their parents’ divorce two years ago. Now that they are both at ETSU, they spend much of their free time “being outdoorsy” together, especially rock climbing and playing soccer.

Kendall also very much enjoys running. He participated in the Country Music Half Marathon in Nashville a year ago. It was his first marathon, and he finished with a time of two hours and five minutes. He presently runs around five times a week, he said, and is beginning to train for the 2010 marathon. He likes to spend as much time outdoors as possible.

Currently Kendall is not employed, so he can spend his leisure enjoying those outdoor activities, though he spends most of his time focusing on school, he said. He may be interested in working this summer depending on whether or not he decides to take summer classes.He says he feels lucky to be able to just focus on his studies at this time.

Kendall’s girlfriend, Megan Eller, came to ETSU in fall 2008 as well. The two attended high school together in Chattanooga and have dated for the past three years. “She is two years younger than me and the time we were separated was hard on us both,” Kendall said.

They actually met on a mission trip to Mexico. Although their school was very small – about 1,000 people in grades K-12, they just finally noticed each other on the trip, Kendall said. The two have found a church home here as well. They are involved with Campus Crusade, or CRU, on campus. And they are contemplating another mission trip, to Argentina in summer 2010 with CRU.

Kendall, who also attends Grace Fellowship Church regularly, describes himself as a “non-traditional Christian.” He says that his views are more liberal than the average Southern Christian.

When he first came to ETSU, Kendall’s focus was biology, and he is still interested in sciences, especially behavior modification. He started minoring in psychology and is very interested in psychological research. His favorite class this semester is behavior modification, where he says he is learning most about young children and how they respond to different situations.

While he feels at home in the region, he is not so taken with East Tennessee that he plans to stay here after college. He hopes to one day become a sports columnist for ESPN, a dream he realizes could be unrealistic. Still, his love of sports and the outdoors draws him to this career.

He also wants to travel, especially to Spain because he has always wanted to visit there. He is presently studying with Rosetta Stone to try to learn Spanish, which also helps in trying to fulfill his career dream. Spain is a big center for soccer and a big draw for him wanting to visit the country.