Meet Your Miss International 2017- Kelsey Craft

Growing up, I never would have imagined being a queen. As a little girl I actually knew nothing about pageantry. It is still surreal to say “I am Miss International!” I hope as we embark on this journey together you see that ANYONE can be fit for a crown if they believe they are worthy, including you!

I had a humble upbringing in Longview, Washington where I lived with my mom, older brother, and always a couple of pets. My mom has worked at the same hospital as a phlebotomist since before I was in grade school. She is the strongest, most dedicated woman I know and I have always wanted to follow in her footsteps. This is what inspired me to pursue a career in healthcare. 

I received my bachelor’s degree from University of Idaho (Go Vandals!) in Exercise Science & Health in 2013. During my time in Moscow, Idaho I also became a certified nursing assistant and gained patient care experience while applying to physician assistant programs across the country. For those who don’t know, a physician assistant is a healthcare provider who is licensed to practice medicine under the supervision of a physician. I have the ability to see patients on my own, diagnose them, order labs, images and other tests, develop a treatment plan, and write prescriptions. I take a lot of pride in my work and I love taking care of people.

When I moved to Fort Myers, Florida in 2015 to attend Nova Southeastern University’s Physician Assistant Program, I knew I wanted to be involved in the community outside of my classroom. While researching community service opportunities, I remembered being told about International Pageants. The mission and values of this system were right in line with mine. On top of that, we have a national alliance with Go Red for Women. As a previous CPR instructor and someone who has heart disease in my family, I was hooked! That day I called the Florida director and signed up.

I competed for Miss Florida International 2016 and guess what...I didn’t even place! Of course I was disappointed but something was pulling at my heart saying “Kelsey, your story is not over.” After about a week I decided to call my state director who encouraged me to try again. (Anyone involved with International Pageants knows that we are blessed to have directors who support us in every endeavor). Of course I was nervous and scared of failure but I refused to let that hold me back. I signed up for 2017 and continued to be involved with my local title. My mission will always be to make it easier for people to make healthy choices. This is a global issue that can have a huge impact so I knew that there was plenty of work to be done.

On May 13th, I was crowned Miss Florida International 2017. During my reign and throughout my work in medicine, I get the opportunity to speak to people about how the daily choices they make affect their long term health outcomes. This may look different for each individual which is why I LOVE my platform Blue Zones Project®. I will explain more about this initiative in coming posts, but feel free to check out the website in the meantime.

When I am not working or volunteering, I love getting outdoors, traveling to new places, and drinking coffee with friends. I also enjoy any type of exercise and I de-stress by lifting weights to a good playlist. One of my absolute favorite things is to meet new people. So please, come introduce yourself if you see me! I look forward to sharing my year with all of you.

In health and happiness,

Kelsey Craft
Miss International 2017