As of July 2015, Kelsey works for Valley Christian High School as the Development Assistant.
Welcome home, Kelsey!

What did you do after Valley? Where did your life take you? 

Upon graduating from Valley Christian, I attended the University of Texas at El Paso on a full-ride athletic scholarship for volleyball. Before my sophomore year, I earned the titles of Miss El Paso and Miss Texas USA 2010 which earned me a spot in the Miss USA 2010 competition. I decided to pursue some opportunities in modeling and production following my year as Miss Texas USA, but eventually landed back home in Arizona. It was important for me to finish my degree, and I just recently did so, earning a BS in Nutrition Communication from Arizona State University. While earning my degree, I worked for Christine Jones in her gubernatorial campaign here in Arizona, and became engaged to my now husband, Ryan Wheeler. He plays professional baseball, and I have spent a lot of time in the last few years travelling the country in support of his career. We both love Arizona and have decided this is where we want to be, and I am excited to be back more permanently and working here at Valley Christian.

Tell us a little about your daily work:
Everyday is something new. I’m looking forward to working on major school events such as Homecoming, the Legacy golf tournament, or the auction.  I’ll continue to work on better ways to say “thanks” to our donors, whether financial, volunteer, or otherwise. I’ll also be helping the school stay connected with alumni, whether they have their own kids here now or they just graduated. I love that my job is so dynamic, and I am proud to be part of Valley’s future growth.

What’s one surprising thing we don’t know about you?
I am a huge lover of animals – dogs especially. My dream is to one day own a large ranch where I can save thousands of animals in order to adopt them out to loving homes while providing education on animal safety and well-being. God gave us the responsibility of taking care of his creation, and I believe all animals to be a major part of that creation.

While you were at VCHS, which teachers, coaches or classmates had the biggest impact on you?
Mr. Kuiper, now Principal Kuiper, was truly one of my favorite teachers. I find science very interesting already, but I enjoyed his sense of humor and passion regarding the subject. He was also my track coach, and the girls track team won State my Senior year. He pushed me to be better not only as an athlete, but academically as well. Alaina Bergsma was the only female student I ever attended school with who was taller than me, but I quickly got over that. She encouraged me to pursue a club volleyball career which led to my Division 1 athletic scholarship for which I am eternally grateful.

How do you stay connected with your friends from Valley and with VCHS?
The Frank family has been part of my life since both Steffi and Samantha Frank and my brother, Ryan, and I carpooled to elementary school together. Both Steffi and Sam attended Valley, and I actually had a class with Steffi who is two years younger than I. Our families get together on most Friday nights for dinner and board games, and we attended Crossroads Nazarene together for many years. The Bergsma’s are also impactful on my life, as Alaina is one of my best friends and will be my bridesmaid in my upcoming wedding. Social media now plays a big role in making staying connected very easy and instant, and I follow or am friends with many Valley alum.

What’s one lasting memory you have of VCHS?
Valley not only prepared me for life beyond high school, but helped set me up for success within it. Earning my diploma in an academically challenging and spiritually motivating environment, achieving a full-ride athletic scholarship, finding a best friend now bridesmaid, all happened here. To think of one memory as lasting would not be doing justice to the overall impact Valley has had on my life.

Do you have any advice for current students? 
Plain and simple – have compassion for each other. I would say that to any kids of high school age. It is so easy to get caught up in your own daily stresses, that you can easily forget that other students and classmates have troubles of their own which you may not even be aware of. Everyone needs and deserves encouragement and support. Love each other as Christ loves you.