CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. – As Kendall Mills would walk the campus or go to and from classes at Campbellsville University, she would often find herself having side conservations.

And, no, these conversations didn’t happen with classmates or teammates or even her professors.

“I started having these deep, real, side conversations with God throughout my day— walking around campus, going to class, on the course and all the quiet moments in between,” Mills said, reflecting on her time at CU and how it shaped her.

As these divine side conversations happened, Mills admitted she was a little scared, not exactly sure what was happening.

“When I finally opened up to my family about it, they reassured me and encouraged me to lean in and listen,” Mills said. “My dad’s words stuck with me: ‘Don’t be scared. Be obedient to God.’”

As she leaned in and listened to God, Mills explained, “God started speaking to me in ways that were undeniable.”

Mills, while walking on campus one day, distinctly remembers God telling her to stop what she was doing and pray for her sister.

“I didn’t know why, or what I was praying for other than her in general,” said Mills, who later learned her sister had hit a semi-truck and totaled her car, only to walk away with minor injuries.

“Moments like that happened again and again, shaping my faith in ways I can’t even describe,” Mills shared. “Eventually, God led me to rededicate my life to Him and invite my family and friends to do the same. It was a turning point, not just for me, but for the people I love.”

Mills explained she came to CU, where she played on the women’s golf team for all fours, as a 17-year-old freshman, not fully knowing who she was or who she wanted to be.

Four years at CU, a time Mills called “a life-changing experience,” changed that.

“My time here gave me the opportunity to figure that out,” she said. “I learned what kind of person I wanted to be, what kind of friends I wanted to have, and what I wanted to do with my life and just as importantly, what I didn’t want to do.”

Mills graduated from CU in May 2023 with a Business Administration degree (emphasis in Healthcare Management). Less than a year later, Mills decided to pursue her Master of Business Administration in Healthcare Management.

“To be honest, if it weren’t for a few special professors who truly encouraged me, I may not have even decided to continue school — or I might have chosen to attend elsewhere for my MBA,” Mills said. “I had applied and been accepted to a couple of other Universities, but none of them felt like home the way CU does.”

Come December of this year, Mills will walk across the stage and earn her master’s degree.

Today, Mills works for Baptist Health, helping to manage a specialty clinic with over 10 rotating providers.

“It’s been an incredible learning experience, and I’m beyond grateful for the leadership that has guided me along the way,” Mills said.

Alongside her sister, Mills recently started a small business, “Events by Mills LLC,” which helps brides throughout the wedding planning process and handles everything from the major events to the smallest details on wedding day.

Mills is also deeply committed to giving back to her community. She is a proud member of Emerging Leaders – Frankfort, which provides professionals between the ages of 21-40 opportunities to network and educate themselves on important issues facing the Frankfort area.

She also sits on the committee William Joseph Crisis Nursery, a non-profit organization in Frankfort that provides a safe place for children from families in crisis.

And, Mills is on the board for Daphne’s Legacy Foundation, a non-profit organization that Mills said is very close to her heart.

“The foundation was created in honor of my first cousin, Daphne Scruggs Fields, who passed away way too soon from Triple Negative Breast Cancer,” Mills said.

Mills said her cousin, shortly before her passing, shared a powerful message: “You can either get busy living, or you can get busy dying. And this girl is getting busy living.”

“This motto continues to inspire me, as well as many other family members and friends,” Mills said. “I encourage everyone to prioritize self-examinations and to get mammograms when they’re eligible, as early detection can make all the difference in the fight against breast cancer.”

During the summer in her free time, you can often find Mills at her happy place – the lake.

“There’s just something about being on the water, looking out at God’s beautiful creations, and being surrounded by the people I love the most,” Mills said. “It’s like, for a moment, all the worries in the world fade away.”

Mills noted the decisions she made at CU, big and small, shaped her into the person she is today.

Mills noted, “Were some of those choices hard? Absolutely. But was every step worth it? Without a doubt. While there were definitely challenges along the way, I was able to overcome those challenges with the help of God, my family, my teammates, coaches, professors and friends.”

Indeed, when Mills reflects on her time at CU, she remember the many powerful ways CU has shaped her life in meaningful ways.

“Whether I realized it at the time or not, the experiences I had, the people who supported me, and the moments of growth and faith have impacted my life forever,” Mills said. “I knew from the moment I first stepped onto this campus that I had found my calling.

“And now, looking back, I know I was exactly where I was meant to be.”

Campbellsville University is a widely acclaimed Kentucky-based Christian university that offers over 100 programs including doctoral, master, bachelor, associate and certificate programs. The website for complete information is www.campbellsville.edu.