Page 16 - The MIL Connection: Summer 2024

Elena Kelley is an AAU Champion

When she’s not performing her duties as a Senior Associate Program Control Analyst in MIL’s
IT Sector, economist, senior financial accounting specialist, and Alexandra’s mom Elena
Kelley is a nationally recognized Taekwondo competitor fresh off a win at the 2024 Amateur
Athletic Union (AAU) Taekwondo National Championships in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. With a
total of 3,600 people from 44 states competing (along with athletes from the Cayman Islands,
Peru, Puerto Rico, and Canada), Elena represented herself, the State of Virginia, and the H K
Lee Taekwondo Academy in Herndon (which just celebrated its 50th year in business) in the
tournament. With her daughter Alexandra at her side to share in the excitement, Elena marked
another milestone in her Taekwondo journey.
Elena first entered the Taekwondo dojang (training hall) not quite four years ago at her
daughter’s suggestion to explore an interest the 5-year old had expressed. After showing up for
a trial class, both mother and daughter were inspired to go back again and again. Flash forward
to present time, both mother and child are still practicing and learning in the dojang 2-3 times
a week and advancing in their sport. “Family class is great,”
says Elena, adding, “you both exercise simultaneously, and
it is much more fun than sitting on the bleachers.” In fact,
non-bleacher sitter Elena is currently a 1st Dan black belt and
preparing to take her next black belt exam in October 2024 to
achieve 2nd Dan. Dan is the martial arts ranking system to
denote degrees of mastery.
Although she prefers “Poomsae” or forms (a sequence of
movements representing the techniques of Taekwondo
such as the front kick, middle section punch, and blocks),
Alexandra enjoys sparring more. Since both technical
elements are required to advance in the sport, Elena and
Alexndra practice both.

Not everyone that studies martial arts competes outside of the dojang, but the Kelleys do! Asked about her decision to enter
the world of competitive Taekwondo, Elena replied, “ I like competitions. I competed a lot in high school and college (dancing/
cheerleading). My daughter competes, too, but she only likes sparring competitions, and she is very good at it.” She also noted
that competitions help her to train harder and reflect on errors she’s made. The focus keeps her working harder to build the
“muscle memory” needed to be at her best.
On the benefits of practicing martial arts, Elena observes that, “Martial arts are great for your mind, focus, and coordination. I
like how I feel after practice. For kids, it's mostly discipline, self-defense skills, and confidence.”

Pathways to higher education

Many MIL staff members are actively pursuing educational goals, advanced training, and professional certifications through
higher education. And each employee takes a different path and has a unique experience. Thank you to Christine and Candice
from MIL’s Procurement team for sharing their personal stories with us.

Christine Curran’s journey
MIL Senior Procurement Manager Christine Curran recently received her Associates degree in
Business Management 15 years after beginning her educational odyssey. Here’s her story.

“I decided to go back to school for two reasons. One, the From start to finish, it took Christine 15 years to complete her
company I was working for at the time was requiring an degree. She’d start taking classes and then life would throw
Associate’s degree to be a receptionist and I was afraid of what her a curveball and she’d take time off. But still she persevered
would be required of my position in the future. And two, to and kept coming back. As a full-time employee and part-time
help my daughter with her classes because she had just started student, balancing the demands of work life, home life, and
college herself. I thought we could help one another since it student life is not always stress-free.
had been many years since I had attended school.”

16 | the MIL connection | summer 2024