Hayes Kelmam: Winner of the 2025 Distinguished Young Almuni Award

Hayes Kelman, CEO & Owner of Boot Hill Distillery and 5th Generation Farmer is the recipient of the 2025 Distinguished Young Alumnus Award.

Hayes Kelman was recognized by the Kansas State University Alumni Association as a 2025 Distinguished Young Alumnus award winner for his leadership in his profession and his support of the community.

“I think this award will affect my future in really great ways,” Kelman says. “It means a lot to me as a K-Stater, and hopefully it means something to a lot of other K-Staters. I think this award will really affect and improve life over the coming years. I'm excited to see what else comes of it. I am super honored to have received it.”

Kelman graduated from K-State in 2015 with a degree in agribusiness, and spent his time on campus making connections, taking opportunities and increasing his education. Additionally, Kelman briefly studied abroad in Ireland to learn about their agricultural industries and culture.

“My major was agribusiness, and I really pursued K-State because, as a true K-Stater, it's kind of where I knew I was going to end up, but it was also a great fit. I do a lot of business in Kansas, farm in Kansas and I'm still in Kansas. What better state to go to school in and to make connections in than Kansas State University?”

“One very educational thing I did that made a huge impact on my life was a short study abroad trip. It was an agricultural economics study abroad trip with the group, and we went to Ireland and got to tour the different agricultural aspects of different industries in Ireland. It was really neat to do. I wish that I had spent more time on a study abroad trip learning about other countries and other cultures, but it was fantastic that I was able to do that short trip.”

Reflecting on his educational journey at K-State, Kelman shares how his experience in farming and hands-on learning through the College of Agriculture prepared him for his career as an agricultural business owner.

“Agribusiness is literally what I do. I run two different agricultural businesses. So learning all about how to run a farm, especially from the business side and some of the agronomic side, helped me prepare. More than anything, it gave me the tools, the people and the connections to reach out to and find solutions when I may not know the answer. The academic side of [K-State] was fantastic, but the connections I got within this state are probably the most important part that I took from college.”

As a multi-business owner, Kelman advises current college students, especially those still shaping their career goals and considering launching a business, ”to move forward with their ideas rather than waiting for the ‘perfect’ moment.”

“If you have a business idea and you want to do it, there's no better time than now. You're never going to have all the money. You're never going to have all the answers figured out. You're never going to know exactly what you're doing.”

“What I did is dove in and said, ‘We're going to figure this out. I'm not going to take no for an answer.’"

 

Congratulations to Hayes Kelman for his many accomplishments and recognition as a K-State Alumni Association Distinguished Young Alumni recipient.