BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md — 16-year-old Kinsley Potts competed against 10 other girls for the title of Miss Maryland Teen, a title Potts says she used to dream about as a young child.
"Just being a part of that and having a chance in the opportunity, I felt so blessed, so grateful, and I'm still in disbelief. It took a long time for it to kind of sink in," says Kinsley Potts.
She says she got into pageantry shortly after moving to Maryland from Georgia, and ever since she has competed in a number of pageants, but she says this one is different.
"I learned that was so much more that went into it than just, you know, putting on a pretty dress and going on stage, like most people think it is. It's about hard work, service, you know, finding your 'why,' your passion, and being able to kind of express yourself to others and do that in a good way," says Potts.
Kinsley Potts says she is excited to begin her reign and share more of her passions, which includes helping other teens learn how to start community projects that can impact their area.
She says she discovered this passion after learning how others around her want to help.
"He said, 'I want to create change in my community, but I just don't know where to start,' and that was kind of my click moment, where I was like, I wanna be that free resource for the youth on how they can find their "why," and how they can actually impact their communities and make that difference and truly solve the issues that they saw," she says.
Potts says after she graduates high school, she wants to go to college and study biology and political science to one day become a zoologist. In the meantime, she says she will continue giving back.
"I really love giving my time and my efforts to organizations that help build the community up, whether it's for animals, whether it's for humans, you know, it's all a crucial part of keeping our community the best it can be, and making sure that other people are getting the help they need, because if we won't help them and take action, who will," says Potts.
Potts is now preparing to compete in the Miss America Teen pageant, which takes place September 2nd-8th in Orlando, Florida.
