JC Productions Photo
Hayley Leach of Grant County has been competing in Miss America in some way for 17 years and in 2019 was runner-up in the Miss Kentucky competition while she was still a student at the University of Kentucky.
She spent two years teaching in Knott County at Jones Fork Elementary (she was a second grade teacher one year and a third grade math and science teacher the second year) through the Teach for America Corps program and during that time still managed to obtain her Master’s in Public Affairs.
Now she’s attending Washington University School of Law but the former Miss Danville also is now headed to the Miss America competition after recently being crowned Miss Missouri.
“I had applied for law school all over the country but Washington U. not only is a prestigious school but also offered me a generous scholarship package,” said Leach. “I fell in love with the St. Louis area and moved to Missouri. I got connected with some people with Miss Missouri. Even with my scholarships it does not cover the full cost of tuition, so I thought entering the competition might be a wonderful way to get the rest of my costs covered.”
She was awarded a $14,000 scholarship for being named Miss Missouri. While Miss Kentucky has a paid position with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, it’s different in Missouri.
“Miss Missouri has a lot of responsibilities but it’s not a paid position,” Leach said. “They have been very flexible with my law school schedule. I am only going to take law school classes three days a week after reducing my hours and I will have two full weekdays and weekends to travel around Missouri. I had conversations about my law school schedule before I even entered the preliminary competition.”
That might sound like a hectic schedule but Leach said while she was teaching and earning her Master’s that she also was the elementary and middle school cheerleading coach as well as the debate coach.
“I kept myself very busy but it was also a life-changing experience with the way the people of Knott County really embraced me. It changed my outlook on life,” Leach said.
During the Miss Kentucky competition, her talent was contemporary clogging — she grew up watching her grandmother clog. For Miss Missouri, she performed a monologue of “Her Story” about the history of Miss America.
“Clogging has been my passion but while I was teaching I realized there were a lot of young girls who face almost insurmountable barriers to compete in Miss Kentucky. They don’t have the resources to pay for private classes or to find studios to use. It inspired me to show you could compete with a non-traditional talent,” Leach said.
Leach, who turns 25 on July 6th, is not sure if she will return to clogging or stick with the monologue at the Miss America competition.
“Just stay tuned to see which way I decide to go,” she said.
Current Miss Kentucky Hannah Edelen was at the Miss Missouri competition.
“We have known each other since high school and have been friends long before she became Miss Kentucky,” Leach said. “She’s a friend and confidant I can lean on.”
Reuben Harness, executive director of the Miss Danville competition, was also at the Miss Missouri competition.
“I’ve also known him for years even before I won Miss Danville. He has been a huge part of my journey,” she said. “He really is like family. He brought his granddaughter with him and Hannah came with him.”
Leach hopes she can work out to be able to attend the Miss Danville pageant August 12th.
“It was a disappointment when I did not win Miss Kentucky but I am a firm believer everything happens for a reason,” Leach said. “I have gained so much more education but also so much more life experience since then that it has made me a better person.
“I feel like I have been preparing for this my entire life. I have dreamed of being on the Miss America stage and it feels surreal for it to finally come to fruition. I will be representing Missouri but also Kentucky. It would be amazing if I did win Miss America. Not only would Missouri being able to say it had a Miss America but so could Kentucky. Both states have only had one Miss America winner.”
Leach was a press intern for Sen. Mitch McConnell during her sophomore year at UK. She’s written a book with her younger brother to help families cope with having an autistic child, something she’s been passionate about since her brother was diagnosed with autism. This summer she has a judicial internship with Judge John Ross of the U.S. District Court in the eastern district of Missouri.
Even though she’s now Miss Missouri, Leach remains a staunch UK fan. She says there’s a “pretty good number” of UK students going to the Washington U. law school.
“We have our own little UK group. I am sure as Miss Missouri I will go to some Mizzou games but I will still be wearing my UK blue,” she said. “That won’t change. I will always be a UK fan.”
One Response
I’m so excited for Hayley Leach to have her chance to compete for Miss America! She’s a great role model and I’m sure she’ll do great in the competition.