From the picture, Kaitlynn Campbell looks like an ordinary beauty pageant contestant. She comes from a different background than most competitors though. Campbell is a foster child. She has been living in a group home and foster care for the past eight months. She will not have to be living in those conditions anymore though. She has found a family to take her in through her preparation for the pageant. Along with winning the state's teen pageant crown, she has been awarded four year scholarships to five Alabama universities. This shows that she will be a foster child who does go on to attend college. She told AL.com "I don't want to necessarily say that I'm different because I don't want people to feel sorry for me. I look at my story as not a story of sadness but a story of success."
Kaitlynn's journey all started with a pamphlet. Karron Standridge, a guidance counselor at Kaitlynn's school, had received a pamphlet about the pageant. She had just watched Kaitlynn receive a standing ovation from her school after singing at their Veteran's Day program. After Kaitlynn agreed to compete, Standrigde started a community campaign to prepare her for her first ever pageant.
Teachers donated money. Evening wear was loaned to her. Donations were collected by her social worker to help pay the entry fee and other costs. She was also offered free makeup, a spray tan, and a manicure. Kaitlynn was an at-large contestant, meaning that she did not compete in any preliminary pageants. She practiced on a stage similar to the one she would be competing on. A photographer offered his services to her for free. Some residents offered pageant tips.
All of the preparation is what led Campbell to her new home. Shelly Roach had helped Kaitlynn with her hair after she needed to restore it to the original color. She learned about the adversity in Kaitlynn's life and wanted to help more. She talked to her husband about helping the girl. Shelly says, "Our goal in all of this is that we want what is best for Kaitlynn." The Roaches have been taking foster parent classes and are preparing for Kaitlynn's first weekend foster visit.
Every contestant has a platform for the competition. Kaitlynn's is Child Abuse and Neglect. Roach says, "She has lived her platform many years." Campbell was excited to be the voice for the kids going through hard times. She wants to use her platform as a stepping stone to change the world. At the competition, she sang Martina McBride's "Concrete Angel," which is a song about child abuse. Campbell says she wants to help kids overcome any adversity that goes along with being a teenager because she knows first-hand how difficult it is. Kaitlynn Campbell will compete in Miss America's Outstanding Teen this summer.
Below is the link to a video of Kaitlynn talking about her Miss Alabama's Outstanding Teen 2015 win.
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