Officer Kelly Takes a Leave of Absence

Kinsley Johnson, Staff Writer

Officer Kelly plays a huge role, keeping Mayo High School a safe and friendly environment for students.  As a school liaison who has been working at Mayo High School for two years, he has been working in the district for over 22. You may have noticed recently that he is absent from the halls and vicinity of door six: unfortunately, Officer Kelly has taken a leave of absence from Mayo as he recovers from knee surgery. He explained that the injury to his knee, “has been a problem for a while now, it’s time to get it taken care of whether it ages me or not.” Officer Kelly will be missed at Mayo while he is gone, but Mayo welcomes Officer Kurt, who will take his place over his absence. “I just hope he doesn’t take my spot for good,” Kelly jokes. He is excited to return, hopefully mid-January and be back in full swing to see all of the familiar faces again.

When asked about issues he deals with day-to-day at our school, Officer Kelly’s response was simply “it depends on the day; however, there are no off days around Mayo.” Kelly works as the legal liason, meaning that if an activity goes on that needs to be investigated further than what the school district is responsible for, the police become involved in that case. Another part of Officer Kelly’s daily job, a part he truly enjoys is getting close to individuals, acting as their mentor and providing support for them, as Officer Kelly mentioned, “Whether it’s just saying ‘hello’ in the hallways, or sitting down with them and seeing the improvements they’re making in their lives,” it’s more rewarding than anything in his opinion. His best piece of advice for a student around Mayo is “stay true to you, and don’t fall for the peer pressure.”

If you wish to send any get well cards or gifts to Officer Kelly, feel free to drop all your items off with Mr. Perry in room 2-248 before the holiday break.