About MeMe Kelly

From Teacher to Playwright to Festival-Selected, Award-Winning Filmmaker

MeMe Kelly - Filmmaker & SHOUT Method Creator

The Journey That Created SHOUT

I wasn't born knowing I'd become a filmmaker. I was just an elementary school teacher in Los Angeles with big dreams and even bigger obstacles. Every day, I watched my students face challenges that seemed insurmountable, and every night, I watched my mother battle cancer for 34 years while making history as an educator and leader.

My mother taught me something powerful: every setback is a setup for a comeback. Every obstacle is an opportunity in work clothes. This wasn't just motivational speaking – it was survival wisdom that I watched her live every single day.

Using what I now call the SHOUT Method, I transformed my life step by step: from elementary teacher to playwright to festival-selected, award-winning filmmaker. But more importantly, I discovered a systematic way to turn any obstacle into an opportunity – and now I teach it to women, entrepreneurs, creatives, and professionals worldwide.

Academic Excellence & Professional Recognition

Educational Foundation

Bachelor of Arts from UCLA
Master of Fine Arts in Playwriting
University of California
MFA Distinguished Playwriting Fellow (2015-2016)

Screenwriting Accolades

UCLA Film School Samuel Goldwyn Contest:
Top 10 Semifinalist (175 scripts)

Lena Waithe's Macro Lab:
Semifinalist Selection

Academy Nicholl Fellowship:
Quarter-finalist (7,600 scripts)

Humanitas Prize:
Script Recommendation

Published Author & Media Contributor

Multiple novels and inspirational books
Christian Science Monitor contributor
Huffington Post contributor
Los Angeles Times contributor
Substack: "SHOUTMETHOD.substack.com"

Books available at elevatedstories.me/store

The SHOUT Experience Journey

Scroll down to see the complete SHOUT transformation journey

The SHOUT Method

First Step

Shine

Second Step

Have Hope

Third Step

Overcome Obstacles

Fourth Step

Use Your Power

Fifth Step

Take Charge

First Step -- Shine

Second Step -- Have Hope

Third Step -- Overcome Obstacles

Fourth Step -- Use Your Power

Fifth Step -- Take Charge

A Three-Generation Legacy of Breaking Barriers

The SHOUT Method didn't begin with me, or even with my mother. It started with my grandmother – a Black woman born in the 1920s who refused to let the limitations of her era define her possibilities.

My grandmother worked her way up from humble beginnings to become a culinary instructor at a small college, breaking barriers and creating opportunities where none existed. She passed this determination to my mother, Dr. Georgia Mae, who didn't just teach me about overcoming obstacles – she was living proof that it's possible. While battling cancer for 34 years, she shattered barriers and made history not once, but twice.

Historic Achievements

Superintendent of a Local School District in Southern California:
Youngest • First Woman • First Black person to hold this position

Director of Military Schools, Department of Defense:
Atlantic and Germany Regions
Again: Youngest • First Woman • First Black person to achieve this role

Every night, she would tell me: "Do not stop." Those three words became the foundation of everything I teach. When cancer tried to stop her, she didn't stop. When barriers tried to block her, she didn't stop. When people said she couldn't, she didn't stop.

She taught me that obstacles aren't roadblocks – they're curriculum. They're preparing you for something greater. The SHOUT Method was born from watching her transform every challenge into a stepping stone to her next level.

📖 MeMe's Note: Why She SHOUTS