Kelly’s childhood in Dickinson, North Dakota, inspired in him a passion for the outdoors. In the summers, he could be found on Lake Sakakawea and during the fall he was bow hunting in the badlands.

After graduating from Dickinson High School in 1995, Kelly attended the University of North Dakota but continued to grow his roots in Dickinson, returning home in the summers to coach the Dickinson Roughriders American Legion baseball team. Kelly earned a bachelor’s degree from UND in 2001 and a law degree from UND law school in 2003.