She may not be Miss Congeniality, but this Maryland Miss is making her mark on American University’s campus. Kaitlyn Dinneh, a junior studying Psychology, divides her time between the Pageant runway and the classroom.
“It’s not about wearing a crown and a sash, it’s about being able to give back,” Dinneh explains. When asked about how the pageant world works: “I really love that it is empowering, it gives me an opportunity to speak out about something I’m passionate about.” After her mom pushed her into competing again (Dinneh made her big debut as a toddler pageant star), Dinneh admits that she has been drawn into the energy and absolutely loves competing. Oddly enough, one of her favorite parts about pageantry is her competition. In her travels, Dinneh met some of her best friends who were also competing in pageant events. In fact, the title she currently holds as Maryland Miss previously belonged to one of her best friends! “When you go to compete, you meet girls from all over, so you can make connections from so many different places that you normally wouldn’t have the opportunity to otherwise,” Dinneh said.
Throughout her pageant career, Dinneh focused on speaking up about eating disorders. Having battled and conquered an eating disorder herself, she focuses on raising awareness and promoting positive body image in young girls. Recently, she organized a National Eating Disorder Associations walk, raising over $10,000 for the cause. On campus, she does her part at the Wellness Center and is working with them now on Body Image Awareness Week, definitely an event not to miss for American collegiettes™ (mark your calendar for sometime in March).
When she’s not busy with classes, pageants, and her work with the wellness center, Dinneh is an active sister in the Alpha Chi Omega sorority. If she’s not on campus, you might be able to find her at her favorite D.C. spot, Sweetgreen, or she can be found lobbying on the hill for the FREED Act, which works to support people with eating disorders. A big supporter of the Women’s Initiative on campus, Dinneh said she loves trying out new things and being active in many different areas.
In the future, Dinneh sees herself in grad school, working towards a degree in clinical psychology and working with eating disorder patients. Pageantry, she hopes, will still be a part of her life and admits that she would love to one day become Miss USA. But for now, Dinneh is preparing for her upcoming competition for Miss D.C. US International in March, and hopefully heading onto Miss USA International.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at American chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.