Chelsey Sophia Rodgers, Esquire is a 26-year-old lawyer, inspirational speaker and singer in the Washington, DC area. She was crowned Miss District of Columbia USA on November 24, 2007 and represented the District of Columbia at the 57th Annual Miss USA Pageant live from Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Chelsey, a resident of the District, grew up in Georgia. Currently she practices law in the New York and Maryland areas and worked as a freelance writer and model for various publications including Black Health Magazine, AUC Magazine and BIAS Magazine. She practiced as a Securities associate for McKee Nelson LLP. She has been featured in the online magazine, Smartsista, is a published author in two anthologies, and is a former Editor-in-Chief and Editor-at-Large of Urban Trends magazine.

Chelsey received her juris doctor in May 2008 from Howard University School of Law where she served as a student attorney for the Criminal Justice Clinic, Editor-in-Chief of the law school newspaper, and member of the Huver I. Brown Trial Advocacy Moot Court Team. She was a Howard Law Merit Fellow for three years and was recently awarded the CALI Academic Achievement Award in Legal Writing. Her hard work in academics has been rewarded over the years with honorary membership in numerous honor societies such as Phi Beta Kappa Society, Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, Pi Sigma Alpha Political Science Honor Society, National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Golden Key International Honor Society, Senior Mortar Board, Inc., National Dean’s List and several others.

Rodgers graduated from Spelman College Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. While at Spelman, she received several scholarships and served in various leadership capacities including the Spelman College Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement, the Spelman Student Government Association, the Atlanta University Center Council of Students and the Collegiate 100. She was named a JPMorganChase Bachelor Fellow and a U.S. Achievement Academy Collegiate All-American Scholar. Rodgers is a graduate of the Women of Excellence in Leadership (WEL) Program and Spelman Women Empowered Through Professional Training (SWEPT) Program.

Chelsey dedicates her time to helping strengthen her community. She is a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, Ronald McDonald House, AIDS Walk, and a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society’s Annual Breast Cancer Walk. Her most recent endeavors have led Rodgers to volunteer with Hearts 4 Haiti, the Maryland Chapter of Best Buddies, Macy’s Shop for a Cause Foundation and the Washington Post Music and Dance Scholarship Awards. Chelsey’s experiences have strongly impacted her life and as Miss District of Columbia USA, she served as a positive role model for youth in the District. Currently, she serves as Executive Director of the Miss District of Columbia’s Outstanding Teen program. In addition, she is the founder of Brains & Beauties, a pageant and lifestyle consulting firm that specializes in preparing young ladies and teens for competition in a variety of pageant systems.

A strong proponent of helping to strengthen the community, Chelsey created the Miss Congeniality Foundation, a nonprofit that promotes healthy self-esteem through workshops that teach 12-16 year old girls in the DC metro area the confidence building skills learned in pageants, such as public speaking, etiquette, leadership skills, poise and presentation, and the importance of community service. She also wants to create the Penelope Lynn Foundation, a nonprofit designed to provide self-esteem counseling and furnished, subsidized housing to women who have recently left battered women’s shelters.