Page 22 - MU VOL4 #3

FLYING HIGH WITh FIDES

career. Cardinal Scout Jeff Ishii is so proud of Joe and he believes that
Joe is one of the best competitors early on. Coach Pat Bagatourian
also congratulated him and said, “I knew you will be successful. I
witnessed you stand up in front of a church full of people and
through tears and courage, you were able to speak about your
grandpa. I knew right then and there that you are special, you
have an A factor. I am proud of the family man that you’ve
become and I wish for your continued success in the field and
out of the field.”

The footage of messages, pictures, and facts about Joe’s career life made
a very positive impact on all of us who watched it. It showed that with
proper guidance and good support by family, mentors, and friends, a
motivated child with the heart to succeed can make it to the top. The
crowd honored Joe with a standing ovation. Thereafter, the Council
presented Joe Kelly with the proclamation signed by the City Mayor of
Corona Jason Scott.
Joe Kelly turned around and addressed the Council members due
to the unexpected number of attendance in the Chamber on his
account. “When I received the phone call, I thought it would be
something small...but it turned out to be pretty big which is
exciting! I really thought I would be just be hanging out with
you guys!”

Joe’s dancing was featured in several occasions in the video. It is probably
his Mexican-American mother Andrea Valencia’s influence on him
because she is the one who asked to take salsa lessons with him. When it
comes to his speed it surely came from his father, Joe Kelley Sr., a wide
receiver from Vanderbilt who went to training camp with NFL’s San Diego
Chargers (Edes). According to Wendy Kelly, his step-mother, Joe’s father
had been coaching him through his younger years. It’s also very evident
that Joe has a comedic side to him. He is known to have disguised as an old
man interviewing the rapper and two-time Grammy Award Winner Nelly
who has always been a St. Louis Cardinals fan. Joe also assumed a funny,
goofy character, Jim Buchanan of JWK Punta Gorda who claimed to have
access everywhere through his media credentials. Skateboarding is another
thing that have always been a big part of Joe’s life. It shows his very upbeat
and adventurous side. It had been his passion. Just talking about it made
his face glow. He recounted, “I wanted to be in the law enforcement

20 manilaupmagazine.com