Kenneth was born and raised in Richlands, Southwest Virginia. It is a small rural town situated along the Clinch River that became prosperous in the late 1800s because of the coal mining, ironworks plants, and timber business. Local officials even started calling it the “Pittsburgh of the South” until the 1893 stock market crash decimated the economy of the region. Kenneth liked the small-town life and dreamt of one day becoming a doctor for the good and hardworking people of Southwest Virginia.
By the time Kenneth reached high school, he was adamant about pursuing a career in medicine. “I knew then that I wanted to go into the medical field,” he said. Growing up, his aunt and uncle, Will and Rachel McVey had both attended King. During family gatherings, they would talk about the school, and it planted the seed in Kenneth’s mind. When it was time to apply for college King was on Kenneth’s list. My first trip to the school was when I came to tour the campus. I really liked the beauty of the campus. I liked the size of the school, but it was the people that made me want to go. Everybody was so nice and welcoming, and I was impressed by how motivated they were to help everyone succeed,” Kenneth said.
“Another big factor for me choosing King was the high quality of the science program,” Kenneth said. Numerous students that have pursued medicine have commented on the excellent education they received at King. The science programs are challenging and prepare undergraduates for medical school. Many say that medical school doesn’t seem as tough as it might have had they had gone to another school with less difficult classes. Kenneth majored in Neuroscience. “There were two professors that I had where Neuroscience was their area of expertise. When I knew that major was an option, I decided to pursue it. I was previously exposed to that field in anatomy and found that I really enjoyed it, and I wanted to do something that I knew I would enjoy,” Kenneth said.
As a student at King, he lived on campus for three years. “It was a really good way to make friends. It was a good way to start my college career,” he said.
After graduating, Kenneth was accepted into the Liberty University School of Medicine and today is a practicing family physician. “What I like best about the medical field are the patients and forming long-term relationships with them. I like being able to care for them over their entire lives,” Kenneth said. Looking back on his experience at King. “King to me is a family environment that truly cares about the student and cares about their future.”