Kelley hails from New Mexico, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at the University of New Mexico. As a new transplant in St. Louis, she has earned her two Master’s degrees in Social Work and Public Health at Washington University in St. Louis. Currently, Kelley is in the 2nd year of her Ph.D. program in Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis. Kelley’s research interests are culturally appropriate intervention and prevention strategies for American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) adolescents and young adults with substance use disorders and suicidal ideations and behaviors. Additional interests include climate change and its effects on mental health with Indigenous communities, mental healthcare quality, access, and overall social determinants of health within AI/AN populations. Kelley has many years of experience working for a non-profit center in New Mexico that served those with co-morbid mental health disorders, unsecured housing, and substance use. Kelley intends to share her knowledge of AI/AN people and mental health with scholars as a professor. Additionally, Kelley aims to return to her Native communities to assist with any resource development pertinent to their people.