Mr. Kelly- Historically Awesome!

Becoming a teacher wasn’t always his plan. In fact, he didn’t really know he would end up in education at all. His journey started with coaching football in Germany, later coaching basketball, and eventually teaching history at Minarets. He says teaching is always intense—every day is different, a mix of exhaustion and thrill.

Photo by: Matteo Ayala

What stands out most about him is how he challenges students. He doesn’t just want people to memorize facts, he wants them to think for themselves and ask questions about what they know. Even if someone doesn’t like history, he hopes they walk away from his class being more aware of how they think and how they form their own opinions. To him, history isn’t just about the past—it’s a way to better understand life today.

He says that the reason Minarets is unique is because “Nobody can walk here so we have to sell it to people.” He connects this idea to the Minarets C’s, like creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking, which he says are only as strong as the effort people put into them. In the end, what he wants most is for his students to leave his class with the ability to think independently and have the confidence to handle challenges in the real world.

Written by: Matteo Ayala

Edited by: Josephina Emerson and Hailey nelson

Photos by: Matteo Ayala