By: Travis Hearne
When Ryan Kelly talks about Boyce College, he doesn’t sound like a distant observer. He speaks as a pastor, parent, and grateful witness to how God has used Boyce College in his family’s spiritual growth.
“Our relationship with Boyce College is deeply personal,” Kelly said. “Each of our four kids has studied there—two PPE majors and two music/worship majors. As parents, we’ve been grateful for the way Boyce sits under the broader mission and in the community of Southern Seminary—equipping young men and women to think biblically, serve faithfully, and live wisely.”
Kelly has served as the Preaching Pastor of Desert Springs Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico, since 2003. From his vantage point as both a shepherd and a father, he sees Boyce as a rare kind of college that pairs academic excellence with spiritual depth.
“We simply don’t know of another educational institution to which we are more closely aligned than Boyce College and Southern Seminary,” he said. “The combination of serious academics with genuine spiritual care stands out. The professors don’t just teach classes. They mentor students, model godly living, and speak into their lives. Boyce creates a community where kids are both stretched and supported.”
For the Kelly family, that culture of care has shaped their children in ways that go far beyond the classroom.
“We’ve watched them mature spiritually and intellectually, by God’s grace,” Kelly said. “They’ve grown in confidence, in love for God’s Word, and in clarity about how to serve Christ and his kingdom with their lives. Each has left more grounded in the gospel, more sure about God’s work through the local church, and better prepared for whatever comes next.”
The Kelly family’s story offers an encouragement to parents who recognize that a college education can either nurture faith or erode it. At Boyce, classrooms are not merely places for information transfer but spaces for discipleship. Faculty members treat their work as ministry, shaping students into men and women who will love the church, serve their communities, and advance the gospel wherever they go.
For the Kellys, the hardest part of the Boyce experience wasn’t the academics. It was the distance. Living in New Mexico while their children studied in Louisville meant learning to embrace a new rhythm of family life.
“Honestly, the hardest part has been distance,” Kelly said. “Having them across the country means missing ordinary, everyday moments. But even that challenge has been an opportunity for us to trust the Lord more fully, and to watch and cheer on their independence.”
Distance, however, has not weakened their connection.
“It’s strengthened our family bonds and helped our kids become their own people,” he explained. “We’ve had to be more intentional with our time together—in occasional visits, but even more phone calls and facetimes. Their time at Boyce has given us plenty to talk about, guide, and celebrate as parents.”
Spiritual, intellectual, and personal growth has confirmed for the Kellys that their investment in Boyce was more than just academic. It was eternal.
“Boyce has been an investment not just in education but in eternity,” Kelly said. “We couldn’t ask for more, as parents, for our kids at this stage of their lives.”
When asked what he would say to other parents considering Boyce College, Kelly’s response was simple and direct.
“You can entrust your son or daughter to Boyce with confidence,” Kelly said. “The school is serious about the gospel, serious about education, and serious about preparing young men and women for a lifetime of faithful service. Your child won’t just leave with a degree—I suspect they’ll leave transformed by God’s grace.”
For families praying about the right college choice, that word trust may carry the most weight. In a world where higher education often pulls young adults away from the faith of their childhood, Boyce College stands out as a place where conviction is deepened, character is formed, and Christ remains at the center. For Ryan Kelly, that makes all the difference.
“Boyce creates a community where kids are both stretched and supported,” he said. “We’re simply grateful.”
