02/14/2026
When Kelli arrived at Alice Lloyd College in the fall of 1991, she never imagined she was walking toward her future husband.
After her first year, Kelli withdrew in the summer of 1992 to pursue another path. But a phone call from John Mills asking if she was sure made her rethink her decision. She returned that fall, a choice that would change her life.
Shawn had started at Alice Lloyd College in 1992, and the two officially met that winter while walking through the library parking lot on their way to class. By March 1993, they were dating. By Christmas, they were engaged. In 1994, they were married.
They returned to campus as a married couple, living in separate dorms while finishing their degrees. Kelli completed her student teaching in December 1995, and Shawn finished the following year. During his four years at ALC, Shawn was the starting point guard and led the Eagles to the national tournament in Idaho each season.
After graduation, they made their home in Inez, where they have raised three sons: Wesley, Caleb, and Landon. Wesley and his wife Kaitlyn are both proud ALC graduates.
Kelli retired from elementary education in 2025, and Shawn continues coaching while also serving in an administrative role at Prestonsburg.
Fun fact: Years before they met, Kelli saw Shawn play basketball for Belfry High School and after a game-day tussle with a player she was dating at the time, she was sure he was a jerk. They had never even spoken.
But after just a few conversations at ALC, she told her dorm friends she was going to marry him.
They thought she was crazy.
She was not. ❤️
