Morgantown woman named Miss West Virginia USA

BUCKHANNON, W.Va. – Over the weekend, the consultant from Monongalia County was topped Miss West Virginia USA 2022.

Krystian Leonard from Morgantown obtained the title on Sunday after the weekend-long competitors. The competitors was held in Upshur County on the Virginia Thomas Regulation Heart for the Performing Arts on West Virginia Wesleyan’s School campus.

Emma Kitchen of Williamstown earned the title of Miss West Virginia Teen USA.

Every contestant went by means of a personal interview course of with two panels of judges. They then competed in swimwear and night robes. The contestants who made it to prime 5 competed in opposition to each other in an on-stage query.

The 25-year-old Monongalia County consultant initially grew up in Clarksburg, West Virginia however moved to Morgantown when she began faculty at West Virginia College. She competed in her first pageant when she was 14 years previous when she realized that she wished to be the sturdy and unbiased girl that she noticed on her TV.

Leonard has been lively locally along with her humanitarian efforts since she was 15. Beginning pageants confirmed her her life’s ardour, and so she began a non-profit group known as “Shining S.C.A.R.S. Inc.” Krystian Leonard grew up having a whole lot of surgical procedures, which left scars on her physique. This non-profit is to assist these discover their energy and to construct character for self-acceptance to rise above stigma surrounding scars. After beginning her group, Leonard turned assured sufficient to write down her very personal kids’s guide “Shining Scars.” She obtained an award for her humanitarian work in 2021.

She competed in Miss West Virginia USA final 12 months and positioned first runner up, which made her need to work tougher this 12 months. Whether or not it was figuring out and staying wholesome, doing interview preparation, or selecting out her wardrobe, Leonard stated she put in a whole lot of preparation hours.

This 12 months, Krystian Leonard will probably be working with varied charitable organizations throughout the state, in addition to the Miss USA applications social initiatives reminiscent of “Finest Buddies” and “The Smile Prepare.” She stated she can even be attending to know the individuals of West Virginia in order that she will be able to serve them in the easiest way attainable.

Throughout an interview with 12 Information, Leonard talked about how her state director approached her after her crowning to ask her how she felt; she had a heartwarming response. “I wished to let each younger girl know in that viewers, and who had been watching on the livestream that when you have got a purpose and a dream, it’s essential that you just follow it, and also you keep devoted to it. I do know there will probably be occasions if you really feel like giving up, and quitting, or possibly it’s simply not for you. However you simply need to hush these internal voices and simply know that your goal and what you need to do in your life is absolutely essential. That you’re worthy of your desires.”

Krystian Leonard is worked up to be representing the state of West Virginia on the Miss USA pageant later this 12 months.