Kelvin Beachum ’10, ‘12

Kelvin Beachum was drafted into the NFL in 2012 by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He is in his seventh career year, currently as starting left tackle for the New York Jets. In 2016, Beachum launched the Kelvin Konnects initiative to further his mission of helping young people – particularly minority and disadvantaged youth – develop STEAM skills. The Kelvin Konnects initiative includes an annual, three-day STEM program in Mexia, adoption of the Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy in Dallas, fab labs through Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh and the Chevron STEM Zone at Super Bowl City, among others. Beachum partners with hunger advocacy groups Bread for the World and World Vision, and supports community food banks across America. 

Beachum earned two degrees from SMU – a Bachelor of Arts in economics and a Master of Liberal Studies. Since graduating in 2012, Beachum has continued to support SMU’s annual Civil Rights Pilgrimage to learn about the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement. This past spring, Beachum made a $100,000 gift to rename the trip the Dennis Simon Endowed Civil Rights Pilgrimage, in honor of the late political science professor who led it from 2008–15 and provided mentorship to Beachum. He currently serves on the executive boards for the Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development and the Bobby B. Lyle School of Engineering.