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By Ron Marvel

Star Correspondent

For certain kids, it seems as though their feet are set on a career path very early; a learned behavior, hobby, or passion in adolescence guides them to their future. Caleb Kent may be one of those kids. Last week Kent, a Happy Valley Senior, was awarded the Dale Earnhardt Jr. Scholarship. A scholarship in the amount of $2,088 is designated for those who desire to further their education in the field of broadcasting or journalism at a college of their choice.

For Caleb, the interest in broadcasting started very young. “I was always interested in broadcasting, in learning more about those who would do broadcasting or explain what a flag in football meant or breaking down a play. I used to take die-cast cars and do a play-by-play of a make-believe race. My mom said you could mute a broadcast of a game in my room when I was little, and I would just start commentary rattling off play-by-play without any assistance,” Kent shared. His mom remembers Caleb broadcasting. “He loves NASCAR and he would read all about the drivers and memorize their statistics. He knew every paint scheme and design for every driver and stats on them as far back as their rookie season; he would then do a broadcast and record himself,” Holly Kent contributed. Broadcasting to Caleb has always seemed attractive because it helps people get a better understanding of the sport, particularly if a person can’t be there.

Caleb hosts a podcast each week that touches on topics in NASCAR and Formula 1, hosted on Spotify called 3-Wide. “This week we will talk about those racers who moved on to the round of 12 after the Bristol night race and make predictions about the upcoming race in Texas,” Kent said. Caleb also helps Matt Estep, who is the “voice” of the Happy Valley Warriors. “I help him call out the football home games; depending on how things go, I’m hoping to do basketball or baseball this year,” Kent said. Kent’s hope is to work towards play-by-play commentary, hopefully in NASCAR, but he says any sport would do. “At first I would be willing to take whatever comes my way,” Kent explained.

ETSU looks like his school of choice, and he has already submitted his application. Because of his diligence, Caleb will already have an associate degree from Northeast State when he graduates from Happy Valley this spring. Happy Valley Principal Dr. Paul Blair shared that nothing Caleb does in the future will surprise him. “There is nothing that Kaleb cannot accomplish. He has a can-do attitude, sets his goals at a high level, and then surpasses each and every goal he sets”. In addition to broadcasting, Caleb also participates in robotics and in speech and debate at Happy Valley High School. Don’t be surprised if one day you tune into your favorite sports team or a NASCAR race and it will be the voice of Caleb Kent you hear.