Major: Communications
Graduation Date: December 2025
As Jaden Kelly prepares to graduate, he reflects on his time at Penn State Brandywine and the unique experiences he had.
“I chose to attend Penn State Brandywine because I was given the opportunity to live my dream and play college basketball. That was always my goal,” he said. “I was also able to live at home, which was something I wanted to do while still playing college basketball. It was kind of the best of both worlds because I was able to do both things I wanted to do.”
During his time at Brandywine, Kelly played on the men’s basketball team for three years as a guard. While on the team, he was named to the Penn State University Athletic Conference (PSUAC) All-Academic Team twice and scored nearly 350 points.
Kelly noted one of his greatest accomplishments during his time at Brandywine was being a two-time PSUAC All-Academic Team recipient.
“It was huge for me to stay on top of my academics while playing basketball, especially during that transition between high school and college. That transition isn’t easy,” he said. “Being an All-Academic athlete was validation for all the hard work I’ve been doing. I’ve always worked hard, not only in the classroom but on the court as well. Having that validation made me feel like that hard work paid off.”
In addition to being on the basketball team, Kelly also held an internship with Metro Philadelphia, a daily newspaper covering news, culture and community stories in the city. The internship later developed into a freelance role, where he now takes photos at sporting events in Philadelphia, including the Flyers and the Eagles.
“My photography journey started when I was in high school, playing basketball. I always wanted someone to take pictures of me playing, and I knew other people felt the same way, so I started taking photos of my brothers playing basketball and it took off from there,” he said.
“Now, I take pictures at weddings too. I was hired in Fall 2024 as an intern for Metro Philadelphia and they recently hired me as a freelancer. During my internship, I shot photos of sports and other major events like the election," he added. "Now, as a freelancer, I do the Flyers and Eagles regularly. Sometimes, I take photos of the Sixers too, and I’m hoping to take photos of the Phillies in the spring.”
The experiences he had at Brandywine helped Kelly succeed, he said. He noted specifically how the Norman and Marietta Mawby Believe, Play and Have Fun Mentoring Program in Brandywine Athletics helped him succeed off the court, guiding him to grow his photography business.
“As a third-year student, I was connected with Stephan Sanchez. He’s a creator who also works as a multimedia manager at Lids. He was extremely personable and was the perfect mentor for me. He played a huge part in being able to grow my brand and get my name out there. I’m grateful that Myeisha Matos (assistant director of athletics) linked us together,” he said.
When asked to give advice to future Penn State students, Kelly said to be open-minded and not to rush through college.