Below is a reflection that IWP student Amanda Williams shared at the “American Traitors: Fathers and Sons” event on October 7, 2011.
As of late, it is clear that people know and will remember Brian Kelley, the American hero and a true patriot.
But at IWP, we also knew him as Professor Kelley, the jokester who put a smile on his students faces (even if they didn’t get his jokes); the mentor, who, if you let him, would push you in the direction of your goals; and even the warning sign, telling students his story to warn them against the dangers of the career they were stepping towards.
As one of the first Brian Kelley Interns, I personally owe him a great deal. He was my mentor and friend. Someone I could trust to not only point me in the direction of my career goals, but fight by my side until I reached them. I can only hope his family finds comfort in knowing that not only will his students miss him, but they will remember him as well. It is at the Institute that his lessons will be remembered and his knowledge passed on.
Amanda Williams
IWP Student
October 2011