Kylan Darnell

Kylan Darnell, born in Wheelersburg, Ohio, and raised on a farm in Franklin Furnace, embarked on her pageant journey at a young age, winning Little Miss Portsmouth at five years old. Her early competitive spirit was further showcased during her time at Wheelersburg High School, where she was a varsity cheerleader and participated in softball, track & field, and soccer. Darnell continued her pursuit of pageant titles, securing Miss Portsmouth’s Outstanding Teen at age fifteen with dance as her talent and volunteering as her platform. Her persistence was evident as she competed in the Miss Ohio Outstanding Teen pageant, achieving fourth runner-up in 2019 and second runner-up in 2021.

Her dedication culminated on May 21, 2022, when she was crowned Miss Ohio Teen USA at the Vern Riffe Center for the Arts in Portsmouth, Ohio, after having competed three previous times without reaching the finalist round. Representing Ohio, Kylan Darnell participated in the Miss Teen USA 2022 pageant in October 2022, held at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada. During this national competition, she placed in the Top 16 and was awarded the special title of Fan Favorite. Off the pageant stage, Darnell became a notable internet personality through TikTok, especially during the University of Alabama’s 2022 sorority recruitment, where her videos offering rush tips and outfit choices went viral as part of the “Bama Rush” phenomenon. She successfully joined the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority. Her online presence has grown significantly, with her TikTok videos receiving over 84.1 million likes and her follower count surpassing 661,600 by 2023. Kylan Darnell is currently studying sports broadcasting at the University of Alabama.