By Khadijah Torbert

Full circle moment. Dr. Brock Kelley was not only a student athlete playing baseball for Lurleen B. Wallace Community College, but years later is now serving as President. He says a lot has changed and some things didn't need too.

"I've been gone, left the Spring of '07, and Coach Helms is still here," said Kelley. "And let me tell you I've tried to hire him quite a few times as a high school baseball coach and he always stayed loyal to Lurleen B. Wallace and now that I'm president here, I'm sure glad he did."

The more you know, the more you grow, and Dr. Kelley says he's definitely grateful for the growth he's seen within himself over the years.

"Things that I didn't understand in the classroom or things I didn't think that that were important back then are really really important to me now. From our arts to our instruction to our athletic programs," said Kelley. "We're not perfect, we're never going to be perfect. But my goal here is to excite everybody, energize everybody, and really [have them] buy into the thought that what we do at LBW can really have an impact on this entire state."

And he's not just talking, Dr. Kelley writes down the vision he sees for LBW.

Dr. Kelley said, "In my conference room here, I have this board and it is full of ideas that come into my mind at 2 am in the morning that we possibly can do."

One goal he's crossed off the list was starting a volleyball program at LBW, which he says brings opportunity. 

"My biggest thing is to knock down barriers. Economic barriers, academic barriers, athletic barriers that may exist for students in south east alabama . Currently there is not a community college that offers volleyball in Southeast Alabama but we have a robust group of schools that offer volleyball at their high school," said Kelley.

"Let's just say Enterprise State wants to do it or Wallace-Dothan wants to do it and we bring in 15 girls this year and they do the same. Well that's 45 girls now that will have an opportunity to extend their playing career also take advantage of what the community college can offer academically," he said. "Then if you look over a ten year period that's nearly 500 girls that would have the opportunity to do those things."

We went down memory lane of his time at both LBW and Troy playing baseball and he had quite a few stories he could recall without hesitation. 

He says he learned alot from Coach Helms, including a phrase he repeats to this day.

 "When someone makes a mistake instead of beating them down toO bad he'll say 'you're better than that', and my kids when they make a mistake you know I  always use that and that's one thing that stuck with me when I use on the coaching field, when I was an administrator or a teacher, I say you're better than that and now I use that with my kids."

Dr. Kelley says from the baseball field, to the classroom, now to an administrative role, he's learned the magic of asking for help and growing to succeed.

"I dealt with a situation where I first got in administration, I felt like I had to know everything and when I didn't know everything it was one of those things like 'omg' they're going to think I don't need to be here, said Kelley.  "But now, it's I'm not an expert in the classroom or areas of education. So we have to work together to effectively move this college forward."

Dr. Kelley said no matter waht it's okay to reinvent and reinnovate yourself and that it's okay to step outside the box and grow in areas that serve your purpose.

He says the biggest take away he was taught and is still learning is to find joy in trials.

"I've been really studying how God puts you through trials in life and to really try and embrace that. I've been taught patience," said Kelley. "In administration you won't make everyone happy and even on the field as a player you weren't going to make everyone happy. Those trials if you're able to grow and help others grow I think that's what gets me up in the morning."