Meet Kelsey Patterson: A Legacy of Service That Continues Beyond Vanguard
Some people have a natural ability to make the world around them feel a little lighter. For Kelsey Patterson, that quality has shaped her life, career, and how she serves others.
At Vanguard Skin Specialists, our mission is to make a positive impact on our patients, our community, and our world. That mission is reflected not only in the care we provide today, but also in the people who have helped shape our organization along the way.
That’s why we’re introducing Where Are They Now?, a new series celebrating former Vanguard employees who made a meaningful difference during their time with us and continue to make a positive impact in the world around them. Although their professional paths may lead beyond Vanguard, our appreciation for them and support for their work remain.
We’re kicking off the series with someone who holds a special place in Vanguard’s history: Kelsey Patterson, our very first employee.
A fourth-generation Colorado native, Kelsey grew up in Steamboat Springs before making Colorado Springs her home more than 20 years ago. She originally came to the city to attend Colorado College and, shortly after graduating, became the very first employee of Vanguard Skin Specialists.
Nearly two decades later, Kelsey leads a fundraising team at Compassion International, where she works with major donors to mobilize resources for children living in extreme poverty around the world.
While her career has taken her in a different direction, service has remained the thread connecting both chapters of her life. Her story is a reminder that the impact we make during one season of our lives can continue in unexpected and meaningful ways.
Finding Her Calling: From Vanguard to Compassion International
When Kelsey joined Vanguard, she was still trying to determine what she wanted her long-term career to look like and where her sense of purpose would ultimately lead.
Then came a conversation with Leisle Chung.
“She shared with me, ‘We would love it if long term, you’re at Vanguard. But if it’s not Vanguard, we think it’s Compassion.'”
At the time, Kelsey already sponsored a child through Compassion International, but she had never considered that her passion for serving vulnerable children could eventually become her life’s work.
That conversation stayed with her.
“I’ve just had a very tender heart for a child who doesn’t know the value of their life, or that they have purpose, that there is meaning behind their life,” Kelsey says.
Eventually, she realized Compassion offered an opportunity to help children recognize their worth, discover their potential, and build brighter futures within their own communities.
For Kelsey, the work is about much more than fundraising. She sees herself as a bridge between people who want to make a difference and an organization equipped to turn that generosity into meaningful change.
“It’s just such a beautiful blessing of getting to be kind of a broker of joy.”
One Story She’ll Never Forget
Over the years, Kelsey has traveled to 11 countries where Compassion International works. But one visit to Ethiopia continues to stand out.
During a trip in November 2025, she met a 16-year-old boy named Bereket and his mother, who lived on the outskirts of a major garbage dump in Addis Ababa. Their circumstances were among the most difficult Kelsey had encountered during her years with Compassion.
Bereket had grown up in poverty, but through Compassion’s ministry, he had been given stability, opportunity, and hope. At 16, he was at the top of his class, encouraged other teenagers to stay out of trouble, and dreamed of becoming a journalist.
His biggest dream was simple: someday, he wanted to buy a home for his mother.
When Kelsey and the group asked him about the biggest challenges he faced each day, she expected a difficult answer.
Instead, he paused and said:
“I don’t have any.”
The answer stopped Kelsey in her tracks.
“Just the number of things that I complain about in my own life,” Kelsey remembers. “He just has this perspective that he has so much hope.”
For Kelsey, the moment became a powerful reminder that hope can change the way we see our circumstances. It also reinforced her appreciation for the opportunity to play even a small role in stories like Bereket’s.
The Little Moments Matter, Too
Kelsey’s definition of making a difference isn’t limited to major accomplishments or life-changing moments.
“If I just know that there’s something that I’ve done each day that has made someone else’s day a little lighter, a little brighter, or I’ve been able to somehow instill joy or hope in someone else’s journey, that’s a good day.”
Sometimes, she says, making an impact can be as simple as stopping to ask someone how they are doing, finding a way to serve them, or sending an unexpected note to someone going through a difficult season.
“We’re just not quick enough to encourage one another,” she says. “It doesn’t always have to be a big thing.”
That belief in the power of small moments is something Kelsey carried with her throughout her time at Vanguard and continues to carry into her work today.
It’s also a reminder that living out a mission doesn’t always require a grand gesture. Often, it begins with the way we treat the person right in front of us.
Kelsey Patterson’s Place in the Vanguard Story
Every organization has people who help establish its culture and shape what it becomes. For Vanguard, Kelsey was one of those people from the very beginning.
As the practice’s first employee, she experienced its earliest days firsthand and saw the importance Leisle and Dr. Chung placed on creating a culture centered around people, service, and making a difference.
“I just remember so well the desire not only to care for and help women feel their best, experience the joy of healthy skin and the confidence that can come from that, but then allowing it to really be such a blessing unto the world.”
For Kelsey, that philosophy was meaningful because it connected patient care with something bigger.
The goal was never simply to provide dermatology services. It was about creating an environment where people felt cared for, valued, and supported, while finding ways to contribute beyond the walls of the practice.
That idea remains central to Vanguard’s mission today: making a positive impact on our patients, our community, and our world.
Although Kelsey’s professional path eventually led her into nonprofit work, the values she carried during her time at Vanguard continue to guide her. We are grateful for the role she played in our early history and proud to see the difference she continues to make.
A Mission That Continues Beyond Vanguard
Kelsey’s story illustrates something important: being part of Vanguard doesn’t have to end when someone moves on to a new opportunity.
People grow, discover new passions, and follow different paths. Along the way, they carry experiences, relationships, and values that can influence the lives they touch for years to come.
For Kelsey, those values have centered on service, compassion, encouragement, and helping others recognize their own potential. Today, she brings those qualities to her work with Compassion International, helping connect generosity with opportunities for children around the world.
At Vanguard Skin Specialists, we believe caring for people goes beyond treating a skin condition. It means taking the time to listen, making patients feel comfortable, supporting our community, and recognizing the many ways we can contribute to something greater than ourselves.
The Where Are They Now? series is our opportunity to celebrate the people who have helped bring that mission to life. Their contributions remain part of our story, and we continue to cheer them on as they make a difference in their own communities and beyond.
Kelsey helped lay the foundation for Vanguard, and we’re proud to see her continuing to build a legacy of service in a different way.
Because making a positive impact on our patients, our community, and our world isn’t limited to one workplace or one chapter of life. It’s something we can carry with us wherever we go.
