Westside Middle School student crowned ‘Miss Teen of Connecticut’
DANBURY, CONN. — Ever since Kaitlyn Klampert can remember, she wanted to wear a crown. And she finally got her wish.
The Westside Middle School eighth-grader was recently named “Miss Teen of Connecticut” in September. She will now move on to compete for the national title of Miss Teen of America held in Minnesota in November.
“My platform is kids with disabilities can do anything and for them to believe in themselves,” Kaitlyn said Thursday.
The daughter of Christine Kennedy of Danbury and Jeffrey Klampert of Yonkers, New York, Kaitlyn grew up in Danbury, the youngest of three children. Her older brothers are Alexander, 18, and Matthew, 24. Kaitlyn was diagnosed at the age of two and a half with cerebral palsy, and underwent major surgery several years ago followed by months of extensive physical therapy to learn to walk again. Today, Kaitlyn beams when she says that she now has no limitations.
“It’s boosted her self-esteem and made her more confident,” said her mother Christine. “To say I am proud is an understatement – nothing stops her.”
At the Miss Teen of America pageant, candidates compete in six distinct categories of judging:
Scholastic Achievement, Service to School and Community, Personal Development, Personality
Poise and Projection in evening wear, a General Awareness Test and Interview. Thousands of girls compete for the title and after the state competition, 35 girls compete for the national title.
Kaitlyn said that her winning attitude is what most likely caught the judges’ attention.
“I have a good personality and I believe in myself no matter what. And I never give up,” she said. “My mom always says ‘we start things and we finish things – we don’t ever stop in the middle.’”
Kaitlyn, who also came in third runner-up at this summer’s National American Miss pageant, plans to be an entertainment lawyer and wants to someday run her own pageant. But she has some work that she wants to do first as Miss Teen of Connecticut.
“I want people to know that kids with disabilities should be treated like everyone else,” she said. “Some kids get picked on for how they look or dress. We need to be kind and nice. We have a Ben’s Bells program at our school and most people are really kind.”
If she sees someone being picked on: “I stand up for what they need. You shouldn’t be watching and laughing. Be a kind soul.”
A fundraiser to support Kaitlyn’s upcoming competition will be held Wednesday, Nov. 2, from 4 to 9 p.m. at Pippa’s sports restaurant in Danbury. Twenty percent of diners’ checks will be donated to the cause. For more information or to send support to Kaitlyn, contact MissteenofCT@gmail.com.