WATCH: Massapequa Summer Camp Music Student Returns As Teacher

MASSAPEQUA, NY — A former Massapequa student who enrolled in the district's Summer Fine Arts music camp has come full circle as a teacher in the program.

James Kelly, who started a camp as a sixth grader, remained involved as an assistant while in high school.

"When I did the camp, I only did musical theater," Kelly told Patch. "But when I was a high school assistant at worked in all the orchestra camps."

Kelly, who recently graduated from Hofstra University, is back again at the camp.

"Now I'm the actual teacher for the musical theater class," he said.

Jessica Wyman, Summer Fine Arts coordinator since 2010, has watched Kelly grow in the past decade.

"It was great to see that someone very talented in musical theater, but is also getting to work with his other love, which is orchestra, and sort of share both sides of himself with this program," she said.

Kelly, who will also begin teaching orchestra to middle school students in Freeport this fall, hopes to instill an appreciation for the music in his students, especially those at the summer camp.

"I think that's really important, even if they don't go, or pursue a career that is within the arts or music," Kelly said. "Even if they just keep that love for it from when they were little. I think that's really special."

Watch the full "Patch Weekly Spotlight" below with Kelly and Wyman.