“I discovered Kelsey in summer 2023 while scrolling TikTok. There she was on my small screen, clad in her red graduation regalia presenting her commencement speech and I was riveted by every word. I knew she was just the kind of leader we needed to hear from at the University of Oklahoma. Through several emails and zooms, we set a date. She came to Oklahoma for a 3-day visit where she spoke to several groups on campus in classrooms, athletic facilities, and residence halls. She was also a featured speaker at Leader Summit, a one-day leadership conference for students at OU. She shared her personal journey of overcoming identity and labels to find the true core of belonging and acceptance. Over her visit, I got to witness this bright young woman share her story and invite others to share their own experiences of how to adjust when life changes. She touched hearts and minds and left us far better than she found us.”

-Sunny Wenger, M.Ed.

“We had the privilege of having Kelsey join our Legal Issues in Sport class at SUNY Oneonta in October 2023.

Although I initially became aware of Kelsey from her student commencement address, it took only a brief conversation with her to realize that she has a great deal to offer as a speaker, but more importantly, as a person.

Kelsey was prepared, thoughtful, and engaging. I consider her time with my class to be the highlight of the semester. She was candid about her experiences as an athlete and student, and about her career-ending injury. She is a natural speaker who, in the most thoughtful ways, made us reconsider how we view those around us.

Kelsey would be a great speaker or panelist in any setting, but particularly for groups, organizations and teams that are interested in having someone reach into the minds of the participants and profoundly impact them.”

-Nate Getman, Professor

“..At the time I was watching Kelsey’s story, my college football playing son was going through his own struggles and there was good chance that his college athletic career may be ending. I instantly felt that I had a connection with Kelsey, and wanted to talk with her in person. After making a connection through messenger, I initiated a phone call with her and that is when I knew that we needed to bring Kelsey to Nebraska! The bank was having a very special holiday celebration, and I wanted Kelsey to be at our event and share her story! It was very special to have her at our event to share her thoughts and experiences and everyone loved her presentation. What I loved the most about Kelsey’s time here was how kind and compassionate she was to everyone she encountered. A few weeks before she arrived, I came up with an idea to have Kelsey talk to our students and was excited when she agreed to present to the Gothenburg HS Seniors. Kelsey came a day early, researched the kids she would be presenting to, and made a personalized speech just for them. Kelsey’s messages were full of inspiration, hard work, and the need to maintain a positive attitude. It was a breath of fresh air to have Kelsey come to Nebraska to share her insight on kindness and finding the beauty in our crazy world. This was a message that we all needed to hear!”

-Luke Rickertson, President

“Kelsey O'Connor delivers a message that everyone needs to hear! She is an excellent speaker, from sharing her personal anecdotes to her ability to connect with audience members, no matter their background. Members of our organization were even brought to tears by the end of her talk. Highly recommended!”

-Olivia Herrmann, Program Manager

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“Ms. Kelsey O’Connor is an outstanding public speaker who expresses her love of life by sharing her lived experiences. In the Spring of 2024 semester, she helped UTC scholars reflect on their value and sense of self-worth. Ms. O’Connor recognizes the importance of honoring each life experience, but also encourages others not to linger too long in their emotions; instead, to set life goals and continue to move forward in life with determination and conviction, in a spirit of gratefulness and peace.”

- Rachael Davis, PhD

Kelsey came to our Women's Club meeting as a guest speaker. She spoke clearly and made her talk relevant to our group. Our club is a group of older women who could relate to everything Kelsey spoke of, including the main theme of “hidden handicaps”. Many of us are going thru life changes and like Kelsey, these are not always visible to the “outside”. She was supportive in helping our group learn how to cope and reassess our lives when these things happen. I would highly recommend Kelsey as a speaker for any size group. She is a vibrant, engaging, relevant speaker we can all relate to and learn from.

-Fran Hannan, VP

“Kelsey did an outstanding job connecting with our students and her message resonated with them. Her focus of overcoming challenges and living a life beyond labels was fantastic! I would highly recommend her for speaking engagements.”

-Seth Ryker, Principal

“Kelsey brought a level of communication and insight to our team that was previously unimaginable. She easily demonstrated what we have tried to develop through numerous workshops with our team that did not resonate with our team in the way that Kelsey did. Our team still references her conversation with us on a regular basis and continues to have a positive impact on our dynamic and culture.”

-VIP Team Manager