On Dec. 12 Altoona Alum Meghan Sinisi began her journey  at the 100th Anniversary Miss America Pageant at Mohegan Sun resort in Uncasville, CT.  

The talent category kicked off the preliminary competitions. Sinisi performed a baton twirling routine to the song “River Deep, Mountain High” by Tina Turner. She wore a costume designed  to pay tribute to the baton school she attends. Carol’s School of Baton to the Miss. America stage.  Sinisi’s design and color scheme was brought to life by Diane Speacht who made her twirling costume. 

“Seeing the costume on the Miss America stage is primarily about the person wearing it – collaborating together and deciding what works best with the music Meghan chose. I have known Meghan and worked with her for a number of years. I’m happy to see her continue her hard work to help autistic people. I’m glad she is able to bring attention to autism on the Miss America stage. I’m proud to know her,” Speacht said.

Denice Stone and Cianna’s Dance Boutique helped make her look complete. She got every piece of twirling equipment she needed from the shop. Stone is attending the competition Thursday night to support Sinisi.

“Meghan has always been the type of person that treats people with a very kind and caring heart and as Miss Pennsylvania, that has not changed at all.  She is a very genuine person who wants to help others,” Stone said. 

Night two of the preliminaries was filled with On Stage Question and Social Impact Pitches. Meghan was named a top five finalist for Women in Business and Equity and Justice Scholarships. These finalists were based on essays submitted prior to the competitions.

On Dec. 14 Sinisi spoke with panelists pertaining to Women in Business and Equity and Justice. She spoke about leadership skills under the first category and her empathy and compassion as an advocate in the Equity and Justice category. On Dec. 15 Sinisi found out that she would be receiving a $10,000 scholarship. She was awarded as the winner of the Women in Business Scholarship.

“I am on top of the world after achieving this honor. As a nonprofit founder and speech-language pathologist, I dream of operating an interdisciplinary therapy clinic for children with disabilities and communication disorders. As a leader, I feel it’s extremely important to prioritize collaboration in order to provide the best care possible for the people I serve, ” Sinisi said on the Miss Pennsylvania Facebook page. 

On Thursday Dec. 16 the Altoona Area School District supported Sinisi  in her dreams by wearing Miss Pennsylvania T-shirts. The shirts had her title and impact initiative on them as well as “Pennsylvania Proud”.

The Miss America title will be announced Dec. 16. The pageant will be broadcast on Peacock at 7 p.m..