Kelli started playing T-ball then quickly transitioned to basketball while in third grade. She played year round on club, school and Asian league teams. Basketball taught her the value of tenacity and dedication which helped her excel in AP courses in Calculus, Psychology and History. She was a hard-nosed player who always worked hard in practice and during games and did all the little things including defense, rebounding and diving for loose balls. On June 23, 2014 Kelli was in a horrible automobile accident which resulted in a spinal cord injury and paralysis. She spent a month in the ICU and another six months in rehabilitation at Rancho Los Amigos. Fortunately she was able to keep up with her school work, return to school and graduate with her class from Rolling Hills Preparatory School and receive admission to UCLA as a freshman. She was honored to serve as Valedictorian for her graduating class as well. While she could not return to the basketball team as a player she contributed as a statistician for the Varsity Boys and Girls teams.

Kelli graduated from UCLA in 2023 with a degree in Neuroscience and returned to UCLA this year for a masters in Asian American Studies.