Miss West Virginia Teen USA Takes on Big

By LAUREN MOON

Contributing Writer

The cliche of a “small-town girl with big city dreams” often gets tossed around, but nothing rings truer for Emma Kitchen, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’26 and Miss West Virginia (WV) Teen USA 2022. For Kitchen, representing her home state of West Virginia as a pageant queen and dancing for the Fordham dance team is the perfect combination to achieve these dreams.

Her First Love West Virginia imbued Kitchen with soaring ambitions. Her home spotlighted her passion for dance, which she made her platform for Miss WV Teen USA.

“I think my work ethic definitely comes from my home state of West Virginia and the way I work and the way I view how I work,” Kitchen said.

Since the age of 6, Kitchen’s devotion to dance inspired her to share the delights of performing with other people around her. At the age of 14, she taught the power of dance as a form of exercise, community and expression to children at a dance studio in hopes of lifting a new generation of young dancers. Witnessing a reflection of her younger self through the kids, she said that “it reminded me of where I started, and it kind of renewed my joy of dance.”

Chasing the same love for the art, she established herself as a member of Fordham’s dance team at the start of her first year. Balancing college classes, the dance team and her duties as Miss WV Teen USA has been a little scary for a first-year, according to Kitchen. She added that the support of her teammates on the Fordham dance team made the transition easier for her.

On her way to Columbus, Ohio, 4-year-old Kitchen was dressed exactly like the Molly McIntire American Girl doll clutched between her arms. Kitchen was traveling with her family from Parkersburg, West Virginia, to see the Radio City Rockettes on tour. As she watched them perform, she fell in love.

Their “classic, timeless movement quality and performance” inspired her, she said, empowering her to establish herself as a member of Fordham’s dance team with dreams of being a Rockette.

The Rockettes are not her only plan, however. As a Fordham student, Kitchen is pursuing a political science major on the pre-law track with hopes of becoming an attorney. She emphasized that she enjoys learning about everything and seeing things from different perspectives.

Kitchen believes in creating the right balance between career goals and artistic aspirations. “My mother always said it’s important to live a happy life where you have a dream and a reality,” she recalled. “(The) Radio City Rockettes are my absolute dream.”

After her first pageant crowning at age 15, Kitchen began entering West Virginia’s “Fairs and Festivals” competitions, which connected her to dance professionals and opportunities.

In 2019, Kitchen joined the Rockettes’ summer intensive program, where she connected with Rhonda Malkin, a Rockette. She began training with Malkin in order to audition for the company at the age of 18.

The same week that she signed up to compete for Miss WV Teen USA, she rushed to catch a train to audition for the Rockettes and tour the Fordham Rose Hill campus. To her, the chaos of it all seemed like a sign.

Although she was not selected as one of the 86 dancers joining the Rockettes’ ranks among 1,000 auditionees, Kitchen explained that she “was just so inspired by so many girls, and I was there. I made it. I made it to the audition.”

Through pageantry and dance, Kitchen earned scholarships and created opportunities that made the vision of attending a school like Fordham achievable.

As a dancer, Kitchen understood what it meant to face rejection, explaining that the dance world “desensitized” her to it at an early age.

“When you live in the dance world, you kind of have to realize that you’ll get 10 no’s before you get a yes,” she said.

Through pageantry, she continued to erase her fear of failure. To her, a rejection isn’t a “no,” it’s a “not yet.”

“I believe what is meant for you will always find you as long as you do everything in your power to help achieve it,” she said.

The pageantry scene can be physically and mentally demanding. Kitchen explained that she always tries to remind herself that falling into the trap of comparison is not a productive mindset, but “it’s very intimidating to walk into a room with all these like beautiful, young, accomplished women.”

However, Kitchen said that she understands that “through that comparison, you realize that what makes you different is OK, and what makes you different is your strong suit.”

Because she grew up dancing on the stage, a strong stage presence for pageantry came easily for Kitchen. She believes that “getting up there and being completely comfortable with who you are, not only just your appearance but what you can bring to the table” are elements that make a pageant special.

Being one of three first-year students to make the Fordham dance team, committing time to football games and basketball tournaments was a new responsibility.

One of her captains on the dance team, Rebecca Chretien, FCRH ’24, said she admires Kitchen’s commitment to dance.

“She’s so passionate, and so I think if she just keeps working and keeps going at it, I think she can do pretty much anything that she wants,” she said.

The responsibility of representing her state as Miss WV Teen USA requires her to learn how to balance life as a student, dancer and leader. For Kitchen, there is no such thing as looking back on the “no’s.” With confidence and poise, she is dancing her way to front and center, headed straight for the “yes.”

VISIT

TO

» Choose between two tracks: multiplatform journalism or strategic communication.

» Develop storytelling skills and multimedia production expertise in graphics, audio/video editing, and web/mobile design.

» Take advantage of internships and courses at WFUV, WNET, other media outlets, and public-interest and advocacy organizations.

» One-year, full-time program