Kyle McKinney was just 5-years-old when the now-Saint John’s University senior lost his father.
Kyle McKinney '22
Roberto Clemente McKinney (named for the famous baseball star and humanitarian) died of a heart attack at age 34, leaving behind his wife Gayle, as well as McKinney and his twin sister.
“The pain (of losing a parent) is something that never really goes away,” said McKinney, an integrative science major with a minor in exercise science and sports studies who hopes to pursue a career as an athletic trainer.
“But I always say that whatever I do, I’m trying to do it in a way I think would make him proud.
“He loved sports and that’s where I get it from. He used to be a coach. So I picked up a lot of stuff from him.”
Indeed, McKinney – who transferred to SJU from St. Thomas University in Miami as a sophomore – has gone on to excel as a member of the Johnnie track and field team specializing in the javelin.
He finished fourth in the event at the MIAC outdoor championships as a sophomore in 2019, after entering the competition seeded 12th.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the outdoor track and field season in 2020. But McKinney – who maintains a GPA of above 3.6 – was still an academic all-conference honoree.
“Kyle is a class-act and a pleasure to have on the track and field team,” assistant track and field coach Joe Vardas said. “He is always smiling and it’s always easy to get a laugh out of him.”
McKinney also works as a student employee in the SJU athletic department. And he was selected to attend the 2020 NCAA Convention in Indianapolis with SJU athletic director Bob Alpers and assistant athletic director Nicci Malecha as part of the Division III Student-Immersion Program.
In addition, he was one of nearly 400 NCAA student-athletes selected to take part in the 2020 NCAA Careers in Sports Forum, held virtually last May.
“Kyle is just a great guy,” Malecha said. “He’s very passionate about what he’s doing and he’s willing to jump in wherever he’s needed. He’ll be the student lead at all of our home basketball games this season. He’ll make sure the facility gets set up, he’ll be our contact person with the visiting team, he’ll handle all the check-ins we have to do when it comes to the new protocols because of COVID.
“It’s a lot of responsibility. But he’s eager to take that on. That’s who he is. We’re really glad to have him here.”
And McKinney said it is scholarships that have helped make that possible.
He receives the James Belland Endowed Scholarship, the Saints Scholarship, and Dean’s and Diversity Scholarships as well.
“I would just say thank you to everyone who donates and makes these scholarships possible,” he said. “There are a lot of people out there who aren’t sure how they are going to be able to make it work financially when it comes to college. And these scholarships bring them a lot of hope and possibility.
“They are so important to so many students out there.”