🐑 Kelley's Life Before Big Brother 🐑

Kelley Jorgensen
Nov 8
4 min read

Before the cameras, the competitions, and the chaos of Big Brother, I was just a girl from South Dakota, raised on a sheep farm with mud on my boots, sunburn on my nose, and a heart full of curiosity.

I grew up completely free-range. My childhood was spent camping, fishing, hiking, climbing trees, and playing hide-and-seek in the cornfields. There wasn’t a screen in sight just open skies, a lot of imagination, and enough scraped knees to prove it.

My mom is currently working on finding old videos of me as a kid, and I can only imagine that they're filled with grass stains, sheep, and chaos. That little farm girl had no idea where life would eventually take her.

✈️ From aviation to International Affairs

I went to SDSU (South Dakota State University NOT San Diego) for college, and started out studying aviation. I thought I’d spend my life in the clouds, literally. I LOVED my time at SDSU Aviation and all the great friends I met there. But when I realized how demanding the airline lifestyle was, and how hard it would be to have a family while constantly being on the move, I pivoted and adapted.

I switched to International Affairs, because if I couldn’t fly the planes, I was at least going to see where they landed. I ended up graduating -on time somehow- with a degree in International Affairs and minors in German and Geography (I'm like, really good at geoguessr). That shift opened the door to one of the most defining parts of my 20s... ✨ traveling ✨

🌍 My Obsession With Exploring

(Not-so) Subtle Flex: I’ve been to 42 countries, all 50 U.S. states, and 21 of Mexico’s 32 states.

But I’m not your typical resort traveler. I’m drawn to the weird. The tiny. The “why-does-this-even-exist?” kind of destinations. A few of my favorite examples include:

The world’s smallest volcano in Puebla.
The Costco cenote in Mérida (yes, it’s literally IN a Costco parking lot).
The smallest town in America — Monowi, Nebraska. Population: 1.

There’s something magical about finding beauty in unexpected and misunderstood places. I think that curiosity — that urge to go see for myself — has always been part of who I am.

💼 Building Something of My Own

While I was exploring the world, I was also building a career from scratch.

In 2019, my mom and I renovated our family farm into a wedding venue called Blue Tin Ranch. What used to be our barn now hosts love stories, a full-circle moment for both of us.

Then in 2024, my web design, graphic design, and social media agency took off. What started as small freelance work turned into Colony Connections, a full-service creative agency serving over 20 clients, manufacturers, hotels, and family-run businesses across the Midwest.

It was the year everything changed. My work ethic, grit, and late nights finally started paying off.

🎥 The Call That Changed Everything

Funny enough, Big Brother wasn’t my first brush with TV. I had originally applied for a

travel show on NBC and I was actually going to go for it! But when I realized the filming dates overlapped with my little sister’s wedding, I said no.

Ten months later, Big Brother called.

And my brother-in-law looked at me and said, “Kelley, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity you’ve now gotten twice. You HAVE to do it!”

So… I did...

😬 The Week Before the House

I was a nervous wreck. I overthought everything. What if no one liked me? (they didn't) What if I embarrassed myself on national television? (I did) What if I said something dumb and it haunted me forever? (It won't haunt me forever)

But deep down, I just wanted people to see me.

The silly, goofy, quirky South Dakota girl who’s adventurous, funny, chaotic, hardworking, curious, grounded, and soft-hearted. I didn’t want to play a character. I wanted to show the real thing — flaws and all.

🏡 Fun Fact You Probably Don’t Know

Here’s one thing that surprises almost everyone: I thrifted land and a house from Facebook Marketplace.

Yep. Bought my home the same way people buy a used couch. It’s half-finished, built from shipping containers, and a total labor of love.

💜 Full Circle

So before Big Brother, my life wasn’t glamorous. It was a blend of dirt roads, boarding passes, spreadsheets, and late-night brainstorming sessions. But it was mine. And I’m super proud of that.

I went into the house scared, excited, and ready to prove that a small-town girl with a passport and a little bit of grit can hold her own — on TV, in business, and in life.

If you’ve been following my journey, thank you. This chapter is just the beginning of everything that comes after Big Brother.