Kendall Ree once opened a video message sent from his father of New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham saying hello to him. He also met with the girls from the reality television show “Dance Moms” and went backstage to meet rapper Wiz Khalifa after a concert.

Ree lives a life that most people dream.

“I love life,” Ree said. “I love everything about it. I have been blessed.”

The Atlanta, Georgia native experienced travels to Hawaii as well as multiple other contiguous states and Jamaica for mission trips. Ree traveled to the White House and sat 50 to 60 feet away from President George W. Bush and had the opportunity to meet rapper Snoop Dogg.

Ree has attended the National Football League (NFL) Draft four separate years, met chairman of the Pittsburgh Steelers Dan Rooney and met Commissioner of the NFL Roger Goodell.

Clearly, Ree held a love for football.

Ree has shared the field with the Atlanta Falcons as well as the Pittsburgh Steelers, and regardless of his roots, his heart has bled black and gold.

“Every time I’ve come up here, I’ve had some of the greatest times of my life,” Ree said. “I love the Steelers. I took absolute crap for it for not being a Falcons fan, but I loved everything about [Pittsburgh]. I love the city atmosphere, the Steelers in general and I just like the people a lot here.”

After completing elementary school, middle school, high school and some college-level courses at home in a mix of private, public, online and boarding schools, Ree arrived at Point Park University last semester for a multitude of reasons.

One of these reasons is Hines Ward and his wife, Lindsey Georgalas-Ward.

Ward served as an incredible role model and influence throughout Ree’s life, according to Ree.

Georgalas-Ward attended Point Park as a jazz contemporary major and tossed the university as a suggestion.

Ree originally enrolled as a dual major in pre-med and business.

“I couldn’t pick one,” Ree said. “Since I was young, I always loved the idea of doing something great, doing something without a ceiling. When you’re in the business world, you don’t really have a ceiling. If you do well enough, you can make as much, you can get opportunities, you can do whatever you want. And the medicine field, I always found that interesting. I always watched documentaries on the human body and how it works.”

However, the work load became a lot to handle, but Ree kept a minor in business instead.

“He’s very studious,” cinema production student Max Behr said. “He always puts school first.”

While Ree’s parents, whose father has professional sports connections, shaped his career path, they have also influence his character.

“My mom is the most caring, humble person in this entire world,” Ree said. “She’s done everything for me and my sisters while my dad works.”

Public relations and advertising student and friend Nicholas Jones sees these traits in Ree as well as others.

“He’s a very respectful and generous person,” Jones said. “We like having him around not just as a friend, but as an intellectual.”

As for Ree’s father, Ree can’t express his gratitude enough.

“I couldn’t ask for a better dad,” Ree said. “My father has just done everything. Even in the times where I definitely didn’t  deserve it, he’s done nothing but show love and take care of me. My father is exactly who I want to be and more than I’ll probably ever be.”