Miles of sandy beach. Crystal clear blue water. Cool trade winds. The beautiful destination of Hawaii, or simply put, “Paradise.” What a place to spend time vacationing. No, what a place to spend time studying!
University of New England student-athlete and marine biology major Kristen Kelly spent nearly six months – from January 2006 through July 2006 – in “Paradise,” studying at Hawaii Pacific University. It is an experience she will remember for a lifetime.
The whole trip came about at the suggestion of the mother of one of her good friends, Ashley Cannon. Cannon’s mother had previously lived on the island, and Kelly jumped at the opportunity to accompany Cannon to Hawaii and study the subject matter that she so loves in surroundings with which anyone would fall in love.
Before the pair embarked on their trip to Hawaii, they sought out the UNE Registrar, as well as their department heads, professors and academic advisors, to get approval for the courses each would take.
A native of Waterbury, Conn. and graduate of St. Margaret McTernan High School, Kelly lived on the Loa Campus of Hawaii Pacific University on Oahu, taking a regular load of courses and utilizing the landscape for lab opportunities. She resided with the first-year students on a campus that was, as Kelly put it, “in the middle of nowhere,” between two highways and within walking distance of nothing. With no personal vehicle, Kelly had to rely on the island’s public transportation system, which frequently was off-schedule and did not allow passengers to take surfboards on the buses. A surfing enthusiast, this made things difficult for her.
Once classes ended in May, Kelly embarked on an internship at NOAA Fisheries, where she observed monk seals and logged data. At this time she also took a class through the University of Hawaii. She lived on a small research island in Kaneohe Bay, conducting reef surveys (snorkeling them) at the many patch reefs in the bay and studying the collector urchin Tripneustes gratilla. Many times while in the bay, she and other students would attract hammerhead sharks, earning Kelly the nickname, “Fish Bait.”
“I loved that class and aspire to be just like our teacher,” said Kelly. “I was in the bay snorkeling every day and was totally immersed in the scientific community. I met so many research scientists ‘living the dream.’ I was living right in Waikiki and could walk to everything and finally run in the beautiful parks. I even worked at a Cold Stone Creamery right on the beach.”
While in Hawaii, Kelly ably-balanced the challenge of her rigorous educational commitment with her quest to continue her meteoric rise as one of the top runners in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC). She ran six miles a day, six days a week. According to Kelly, initially it was difficult to train. Heading out to Hawaii, she was of the mindset that she would be running on the lovely beaches of the island, soaking up all the panoramic views they had to offer. The geographic location of Hawaii Pacific University’s Loa Campus robbed her of those opportunities since it was located away from the coast. She persevered, thanks in large part to her inner drive to succeed.
An all-CCC selection in 2005, Kelly has demonstrated remarkable improvement in her time with the Nor’easters’ cross country program. In her first season, she failed to score (finish in UNE’s Top 5) at any point. Kelly improved quite a bit her second year and consistently finished meets as the team’s third, fourth or fifth-place runner. Last season, she was the first UNE runner to cross the finish line in each of the team’s eight events, including a first-place overall finish at the Fitchburg State College Invitational.
Kelly has her sights set on ending her collegiate cross country career in style and demonstrated that with a win at the UNE Invitational to kick off the 2006 season. UNE head cross country coach Ron Ouellette has worked with few athletes who have improved as much as Kelly has during her career.
“Her improvement is based solely on her desire to get better,” Ouellette assesses. “The time, work and dedication she has put into running is evident by her performance.”
Like so many of UNE’s student-athletes, Kelly balances the daily challenge of a rigorous academic schedule and the commitment to her team. She is a two-time CCC Academic All-Conference selection with a cumulative GPA of 3.51 and finds time to serve as Vice President of the Outing Club. Kelly also lists the UNE Mentoring Program, the SCUBA Club and the Cycling Club as some of her other extracurricular activities. She is in the process of starting a surf club and hopes to compete with other colleges in the area.
When asked if she plans to return to Hawaii at any point, she quickly shot a smile. “Absolutely,” Kelly responded. “I promised everyone when I left that I’d be back as soon as I could.”