During the week of Jan. 27, English teacher John Kelly participated in an educator’s workshop at the Marine Corps basic training facility at Parris Island, SC, along with 15 other teachers from the East Coast.

“They put us through all the rigors, so I got to play soldier for the week,” said Kelly.

The trip gave teachers information they need to recruit seniors they believe are worthy to join the Marines. However, this was not the sole purpose of the trip for Kelly.

“The idea of discipline and order is something we seem to be lacking in public education,” said Kelly. “Here you can see first hand how it really does work.”

Kelly, who grew up in a household run by two Marine parents, already had a strong grasp of the concept on discipline and following orders. 

“You hold your head high, look people in the eyes, and treat people with the utmost respect at all times. It’s a nice baseline to have in life,” said Kelly.

During his trip, he also had the opportunity to witness two of his former students, Liam Duell and Bela Szabo, graduate from the camp.

“Getting to see my former students graduate was neat and was something I wasn’t aware of prior to going down there,” said Kelly.

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John Kelly

English teacher John Kelly connects with former student Bela Szabo at the Marine Corps boot camp graduation.