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Here's what the new Miss Kentucky says she wants to do in her new role

Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez
Louisville Courier Journal

Hannah Edelen wants to teach, whether it's in her job at Holmes Middle School in Covington or as the newly crowned Miss Kentucky.

"The great thing about Miss Kentucky is I feel like it's really an extension of my job as a teacher," Edelen said during a visit to The Courier Journal on Tuesday. 

Edelen, 24, was crowned Miss Kentucky on June 19 and will compete in the Miss America pageant in December. 

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The new role is a full-time job, so she won't be teaching Social Studies and English to sixth-graders this coming fall as she did for the past three years. But she hopes that as Miss Kentucky, she will be able to reach more children and teach them reading and "resiliency and persistence" by talking about her background story.

Edelen said she had a "challenging" childhood growing up in her hometown of Springfield as her mother battled a brain tumor. That put emotional and financial strains on the family that made things tough, and her father worked as much he could, she said. During those times Edelen said she found comfort in school, and that helped shape her.

Miss Kentucky 2022 Hannah Edelen holds her crown. "I think it's important for kids to feel like they have access and like they have a say in things," said Edelen, who is a teacher. "And ... even though they're growing and learning and forming their own opinions, to be able to feel like they have value in what they share and what they say and what they do."

She said she spent many hours with a teacher who helped her emotionally and financially, and transformed the way she looks at life.

"She really believed in me and because of her I feel like I've been able to go on and do a lot of great things," Edelen said.

Now, because of her experiences, Edelen said she wants to be vulnerable, real and honest as Miss Kentucky.

Miss Kentucky 2022 Hannah Edelen wears four buttons on her sash: a blue pinwheel that is the national symbol for child abuse prevention; a rainbow for LGTBQ community, and Read Ready Kentucky and Kentucky Proud, the organization of which she is the official spokesperson. Edelen will be competing in this year's Miss America.

"The reality is, is that we all have adversity, and we all have challenges. And those don't exempt anyone," she said. "And I'm hoping that kids will see what's possible through my story. And by being the first (in her family) to go to college, and now by being the new Miss Kentucky."

Edelen said she plans to continue the program called "Read Ready Kentucky" — born from a program called "Read Ready Covington" started by Mayor Joe Meyer and current Director Mary Kay Connolly  — that focuses on teaching kids how to read and use that skill to impact the world.

She  said she wants to to give kids books about topics they are interested in and make those books available at events like book fairs. 

"I think it's important for kids to feel like they have access and like they have a say in things. And … even though they're growing and learning and forming their own opinions, to be able to feel like they have value in what they share and what they say and what they do."

Miss Kentucky 2022 Hannah Edelen wipes away tears while describing her students who wrote about overcoming obstacles and adversities. "I just think about their little sixth grade lives and how, how special they are," said Edelen. "And we just really have no idea what kids go through, in, you know, communities."

She said she shared her experience growing up with her students at Holmes Middle School, and asked them to share stories about their lives with her during the school year. She said that she teared up as she read the stories on her couch at home.

"I just think about their little sixth grade lives and how, how special they are," she said. "And we just really have no idea what kids go through."

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Reach Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez at abrinez@gannett.com; follow her on Twitter at @SoyAnaAlvarez