Miss Kentucky Hannah Edelen will be back at the Miss Danville pageant on Aug. 27 and will compete in the Miss America pageant in December.
Hannah Edelen has always had big dreams and that certainly didn’t change after she was crowned Miss Kentucky in June.
“I would like to be Kentucky’s second Miss America after Heather French,” said Edelen, a Washington County native and former public school teacher.
Edelen will join us on WPBK (102.9 FM, wpbkfm.com) Thursday from 7:30-8 a.m. to talk about her first few months as Miss Kentucky before she competes for Miss America in December in Connecticut.
“I had always heard about Miss Kentucky. There are all sorts of programs I tried to be involved in but I could not be involved in the Miss Kentucky program because I didn’t have financial resources to invest in it like I wanted to,” Edelen said.
“My family didn’t have a significant amount of income that they could devote to the program. They would rather put it toward college. My family looked at it like ‘when is the investment worth the return.’”
She understood her family’s decision and waited until she had a full-time job her senior year at Northern Kentucky University before she felt “financially comfortable” enough to invest in pageants.
“Everything adds up from registration to fees to evening gowns on stage. The money adds up quickly that it takes to compete. I just waited until I could put my best foot forward,” she said. “This is my third year with the program.”
Edelen represented the Miss Danville Scholarship Organization as Miss Heart of Central Kentucky at the Miss Kentucky pageant and will be back in Danville for this year’s competition on August 27th.
She says Hayley Leach, a former Miss Danville who was second in the Miss Kentucky competition, has been a leader for her.
“She is one of the young women who inspired me. She is a clogger like me. I admired her. I didn’t feel like she was just a leader in the Miss Kentucky organization but also a leader outside of that program,” Edelen said. “For me, it is amazing what she did. She is wonderful.”
Edelen, 24, knew she was capable of winning Miss Kentucky but also felt she was competing against “phenomenal” participants.
“It was the most authentic and real experience ever. When I won I could see the faces of the other girls and how excited they were for me. That was probably my favorite moment seeing how happy the other girls were for me,” she said.
Edelen knows her Miss America dream is “kind of crazy” because statistically she’s always heard it was easier for a parent to have a son play in the NFL than a daughter be Miss America.
“I am feeling really proud just to go but I also think I would be a great Miss America because I have so much to offer,” she said. “My story is unique and I have overcome so much and not let that define outcomes for me. I think what a great example that would be to lead an organization.”
“Growing up I was not always this confident. I was really insecure about my family’s struggles. Once you get older and see all you have to offer, you start to think I do have value and I can contribute in a meaningful way. Being a teacher for the past three years gave me so much confidence. I could see growth in my students and I really saw the impact I could make.”
She’s been continuing to make an impact with her travels across the state representing the Kentucky Department of Agriculture. She wanted to “get down and dirty” with Kentucky farmers and share their stories.
Edelen also went to eastern Kentucky after the disastrous flooding and hopes everyone will continue not only to donate money and goods to flood victims but also volunteer to help.
“I found myself holding back tears at times throughout the day listening to their stories, but I felt empowered knowing that our Kentucky has come together yet again after another devastating natural disaster,” Edelen posted on social media after her visit to Knott County.
