Kale Nelson has been a Region resident since he was born, and he continues to enjoy the area as he begins to build a career for himself post-graduation.
As a kid, Nelson enjoyed watching his father coach high school sports, and as he began his high school career, he naturally gravitated towards playing sports himself. Nelson played baseball and basketball for Portage High School.
“My dad coached teams up here, so being able to grow up around sports and then eventually being at that age where I got to play high school sports was kind of surreal,” Nelson said.
Being part of a team helped Nelson make lifelong friends and learn from some of the best coaches in the Region. He also learned valuable lessons about success, but most importantly, he learned about the benefits of failure.
“I had the opportunity to play with a lot of great guys, and some are still friends that I talk to today. I had an opportunity to play for a lot of career coaches that taught me a lot of things during my time in high school. The biggest lesson I learned was just that I was going to fail at certain things, and that it’s more about how you react to those failures, rather than you just actually failing,” Nelson said.
Without a strong support system, Nelson feels he would have had a very different story. He grew up with one older brother and had a lot of support from his parents when navigating sports, school, and the maze that surrounds the college application process.
“My parents were just a big part of my life,” Nelson said. “They helped and allowed me to play sports and do the things I wanted to do growing up. They were also extremely helpful when trying to do all of the different things that you have to do for college. Without all three of them, I wouldn't be where I'm at today. They've been really influential people in my life.”
After graduating from Portage High School, Nelson moved south to Indianapolis and attended Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) to study business and marketing. During his time at IUPUI, Nelson met his girlfriend Tiffany Bruner. They both became a rock for each other to rely on when things got challenging during school, and since graduating, the two have continued to strengthen their relationship.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Nelson decided to pick up a new hobby and began golfing. He now uses it as a way to connect with his family and relax in his free time. In the summer, he tries to golf every weekend.
“My favorite place to go would probably be the Duck Creek Golf Course. I like going out with my dad and brother and playing golf together. It's kind of a space where we can just relax and be ourselves without worrying about all the other stressful things going on in life,” Nelson said.
When he’s not golfing or working, Nelson enjoys relaxing with his girlfriend or going on runs around his neighborhood. He also enjoys spending time with his two dogs Domer and Bruce.