A Cincinnati, Ohio, man graduated from two colleges over the weekend.

Darrell Landon Kelly, 24, received an MBA from Xavier University’s Williams College of Business and a law degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Law on Saturday, May 12.

“I was born to five generations of love, and I passed that on to them,” Lisa Kelly said of her son, Darrell, and his older sister, Jazmoné, who is in medical school. “If he’s tall, it’s because he’s standing on tall shoulders. He’s big because of the village, because of the friendships. He grew up with love.”

Throughout his secondary schooling, Kelly excelled in academics as well as football, basketball, soccer and other sports. At 16, he graduated from Walnut Hills High School and went on to the Mecca, Howard University, in 2014.

“It’s time for me to stand and leave the nest,” he said. “She’s instilled me with all these tools and has guided me for so long.”

Kelly’s mother told WCPO that her son comes from a long line of strong and resilient family members who all valued education. She and her sisters all went to college, and two of them have master’s degrees. Kelly’s grandmother also went back to school to get her bachelor’s degree from Xavier at 73.

Kelly first aspired to earn a law degree and an MBA after hearing about a program at Howard that would give him the chance to obtain the two. However, he decided to go back home to Cincinnati to save money and attend the University of Cincinnati and Xavier.

“Some kids do great. Some kids do wonderful. But when you go past great and get your master’s and turn into a lawyer, you do like the Bible says: exceedingly and abundantly,” said Richard Layson, who has known Kelly for most of the young man’s life. “That’s where he went — exceedingly more than we ever asked for.”

Six months ago, near the end of both programs, he realized that both graduation ceremonies would be on the same day. But he did not sweat it as he was used to juggling multiple tasks. He has held two part-time jobs: one as a legal extern at Baker & Hostetler LLP and one as a graduate assistant at Xavier.

His mother always reminded her son he is able to achieve the things that he has because of those who came before.

“You are not necessarily special or exceptional,” she told her children. “You are a king. You are a queen. You’re continuing the tradition. There’s nothing you can’t do.”

Darrell Kelly

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