Kelsey Patricia Dorawa

Kelsey Patricia Dorawa was born on April 29, 2001 in Bradenton, Florida, and she passed away unexpectedly of natural causes on February 11, 2025 at the age of 23. Kelsey was the middle of five children and was living in Euharlee, Georgia.
Kelsey excelled academically and in her extracurricular pursuits. While at Walton High School, she played and marched the trumpet in the marching band. Her senior year, she led the band as drum major, a testament to her hard work and leadership. Additionally, she was a member of the International Spanish Academy - a prestigious immersive language program in which she took classes in both English and Spanish and graduated with diplomas from the United States and Spain. In 2018, she was inducted into the National Honor Society, an honor bestowed upon students that demonstrate consistent high grades, community service, character, and leadership.
From 2019 - 2022, Kelsey attended Georgia State University where she developed and fostered her love for film and creative writing. At GSU, Kelsey was accepted into the Georgia Film Academy where she received a certification in film production after taking hands-on courses on film sets at Trilith Studios in Atlanta. During her college career, Kelsey worked on several short films for which she received IMDb credits, including Tome and Murder in Bb Minor. Kelsey also served as script supervisor and co-writer for the 2023 short film I Scream which won Audience and Judges' Best Film Awards at the Buried Alive Film Festival.
Outside of classes, Kelsey worked as a Library Ambassador at her university library. She was an active member and the President of the GSU Film Club. Kelsey graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Film and Media in 2022.
Kelsey's love of reading and writing persisted throughout her life. In fall 2021, Kelsey's prose piece "Something of Nothing and Everything" was published in GSU's Underground Art & Literary Journal. At the time of her passing, Kelsey was working on the third draft of her first novel, Phantom Eternal, which she intended to have published. She was working at the Wolf Creek Library in Fulton County where she was surrounded by stories and inspiration.
Kelsey was a kind, optimistic, funny, bright, and creative soul that made time for everyone in her life. She enjoyed playing video games with her siblings, watching movies with her friends, reading and writing, and playing Dungeons and Dragons. She is survived by her parents, Jennifer Benners and Walter Dorawa; her siblings, Bailey, Sydney, Bradley, and Dylan; her stepparents, Josh Benners and Melissa Dorawa; and her stepsiblings, Zach and Britta.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Atlanta-Fulton County Public Library Foundation in Kelsey's memory: https://afplf.org/donate/.
If you do wish to send flowers, please call Flowers of Marietta at 770-579-2342.
For those unable to attend the service in person, you will be able to view the service via livestream at 11:00 AM on Sunday, February 23, 2025 at www.heritagefuneralchapel.com: