Kelly is currently a full-time master’s student in Duquesne University’s Clinical Mental Health Program and was recently inducted into the international honor society for counseling, Chi Sigma Iota. Prior to entering the program, she spent over 14 and a half years working as a criminal investigator at the Allegheny County Jail for the Criminal Court of Common Pleas Fifth Judicial District of Pennsylvania. There, Kelly was face-to-face with defendants being charged with both minor and major crimes. Throughout Kelly’s time at the jail, she was successful in getting several defendants into drug and alcohol treatment, helped veteran’s suffering from PTSD get accepted into Veterans Court, and became an advocate for those in abusive relationships. She helped countless victims obtain Protection from Abuse Orders.

Kelly’s change in career paths was inspired by her work as a volunteer at the Highmark Caring Place, a center for grieving children and their families. She has spent over the last five years facilitating and co-facilitating groups with children and teens, and also volunteers for special events like Children’s Grief Awareness Day, the 25th Anniversary Parks Kick-Off Event, Caring Team Summit, among many others. Kelly has a special knack in working with teens and children and is also passionate about trauma work and working with people who have experienced physical/emotional/mental abuse.

Kelly holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and journalism, also from Duquesne University, and spent several years as a newspaper reporter making the front page with her coverage of local reaction to the September 11th terrorist attacks. Kelly then returned to school obtaining a master’s degree in criminal justice administration from Point Park University.