Kelsey is from Boston, Massachusetts. She completed her undergraduate degree in International Development and African Studies at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Kelsey discovered her passion for public health while volunteering for an HIV/AIDS casework organization during her senior year in college. She went on to work for Management Sciences for Health as a Program Coordinator, providing support for public health programs in Africa and the Middle East. Kelsey completed her graduate degree in Gender, Globalization and Development at the London School of Economics and Political Science. During her studies, she interned at the United Nations Development Programme, where she conducted research on the gender outcomes of UNDP projects.