Kelly received a New Futures scholarship in the Fall of 2020 after graduating with the GED diploma that year and transferring to Northern Virginia Community College while the pandemic and the job market challenged the world.

The New Futures scholarship helped Kelly overcome the financial challenges of affording education. Its support allowed Kelly to focus, dedicate herself to education and internship, and take advantage of college resources. In 2022, Kelly graduated Summa Cum Laude with a 4.0 GPA in Paralegal Studies at Northern Virginia Community College and transferred to pursue her undergraduate degree.

Currently, Kelly is a Second-time Scholar pursuing B.A. Degree in International Relations at Florida International University. Majoring in international relations to improve her global critical thinking, deepen her understanding of diverse society and global issues, and reinforce her awareness of human rights, global socio-economics issues, and interaction between sovereign states.

While pursuing her associate degree, Kelly interned and worked as a paralegal in an immigration, international trade, and finances law firm, where Kelly learned how countries interact to mutually benefit from agreements, how international relations and politics influence the world, and how immigration can save lives. Currently, Kelly is a contract paralegal supporting the civil division of the Department of Justice. As a paralegal, Kelly research and analyze laws, statutes, legal articles, and judicial decisions, draft legal documents, and manage evidence to support the litigation team investigating and prosecuting alleged violations in federal court.