She was the recipient of the Public Service Award from the Arizona Society of CPAs in 2010. Kelly teaches introductory financial accounting, managerial accounting and advanced level accounting courses. Kelly utilizes games and other practical activities in the classroom to help students understand the topic and connect it to real-world situations. She holds a Bachelor of Science in accounting from Colorado State University and a Master of Business Administration from the W. P. Carey School of Business. She is the co-faculty advisor for the Collegiate DECA of GCU chapter.