Kelsey Schmidt (Photo by Jerry and Lois Photography)
Bellevue resident and fourth generation Japanese American, Kelsey Schmidt will represent Washington at the Miss USA® pageant in Las Vegas, on June 5.
A send-off party was held on May 5 for Schmidt, 26. She received her B.A. in biology from Scripps College and is currently a predoctoral fellow at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the University of Washington.
Upon completion of her Ph.D. RD., Schmidt plans to open a nutritional consulting firm and continue her research in chronic disease prevention.
Having been teased for being “chubby” growing up, Schmidt is passionate about helping young women embrace a healthy body image and lifestyle.