James Kelton has saved lives.

Kelton was lifeguarding at his local YMCA when two swimmers decided to test their bravery in the waters of the deep end.

“I saved two girls at one time,” Kelton said. “One of them panicked and grabbed on to the other one.”

A freshman in aerospace engineering, Kelton did not travel far to come to school at N.C. State. Wake Forest, a town about 20 minutes north of campus, has been Kelton’s home for the the past six years.

Bringing a few comforts from home, Kelton said, has made his freshmen easier so far.

One such comfort, his best friend, lives a short distance from him — a few feet, to be precise — in the Avent Ferry Complex.

“My roommate is my best friend since seventh grade,” Kelton said.

Kelton said he and his roommate enjoy living in Avent Ferry — even though it lies on the other side of Western Boulevard and is a bit of a hike to class.

But when Kelton is not at Avent Ferry or in class, he works as a head lifeguard at the Kerr YMCA in Wake Forest, where he has worked since he was 16.

It has not been hard, he said, for him to fit lifeguarding into his schedule because he has no classes on Friday. Since he has no car, his mom picks him up and drives him home so he can get to work on time.

Kelton said he has kept his job because he likes the feeling he gets from looking after the kids swimming.

However, lifeguarding is not Kelton’s only interest. He plans on joining the High Powered Rocketry Club, and is also thinking about joining the Rugby Club.

For now, though, Kelton said he is enjoying his new freedom and trying to keep up in his classes.

“History is kicking my butt because I don’t like writing,” Kelton said. “Other than that, my classes aren’t bad.”