Though the month of June is behind us, the work doesn’t end for the 2024 Miss Juneteenth Texas state pageant winner from Daingerfield. Kaidlen Key is preparing for the 2024 Miss Juneteenth USA national pageant, coming up in October. Key just entered her senior year in high school. She’s in band and theater, and she can belt out a tune to rival a Broadway singer. When asked about why she entered the Juneteenth pageants, she answered with a bashful grin, “I’ve always been kind of charismatic, but in a different way, and I didn’t think I would fit in the pageant world. Ironically, it’s helped me out a lot.”
Since she was young, Key said she has always expressed herself through different crafts. She told the Tribune, “I’ve done so many things. I’ve been in dance, cheer, and band. I will always love music and theater.
Key also told us she’s been preparing for the national pageant since the state pageant ended, “I’m just happy I get to be there. I’m excited to make friends on the national stage, where all these people have come from. Imagine, all 50 states! I’m very excited.”
With all the work that goes into preparing for a pageant, Key talked about what they already have underway. She explained the ongoing rehearsals, headshot photos, and a dazzling dress in the works.
Aside from the national pageant, Key also shared her excitement about a recent visit to the university she already has her sights set on, Stephen F. Austin University, and how she won several superlative awards. She’s won best performer two years consecutively, the Alpha Psi Omega award, and the Spirit of Workshop Award “I didn’t tell my family that I was auditioning for their School of Theater and Arts,” Key gushed with a radiant smile. “ I got in! I ended up getting two scholarships, which is pretty cool.”
Key said she plans to attend SFA for theater and become a theater teacher herself one day. “I have so many different interests, but my heart belongs to theater. I love performing and I love that I get to still do music while doing theater too!”
The 2024 Miss Juneteenth USA pageant is set for October 14, in Chicago. Key and her family will be taking a long roadtrip to make it there. Key said she is excited just at the thought of participating, but also wants to bring the national title back to Northeast Texas.
