Alumna to Vie for Miss America Crown


Published originally in the Summer 2010 issue of Berea College Magazine

Theater major Djuan Trent ’09, was crowned Miss Kentucky 2010 on July 18. She will represent Kentucky at the Miss America pageant in January. One of her duties will be to serve as the spokesperson for the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s “Kentucky Proud” program. At the pageant, Djuan earned a preliminary talent award after singing “Up to the Mountain,” won a preliminary swimsuit competition and was recognized for community service.

The Columbus, Georgia, native’s platform issue was, “Homeless Prevention: A Hand Up, Not a Hand Out,” which she said was inspired by years of feeding the homeless at her grandmother’s church. Over spring break of her sophomore year at Berea, Djuan helped with the cleanup in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. She also worked as a residents’ assistant at the Estill Street complex and was crowned Queen at the 2006 Black Student Union Pageant. Djuan hopes to obtain a master’s degree in business and work in the entertainment industry.

Categories: News, People
Tags: alumni, Djuan Trent, Miss Kentucky, Theatre Department

Berea College, the first interracial and coeducational college in the South, focuses on learning, labor and service. The College only admits academically promising students with limited financial resources—primarily from Kentucky and Appalachia—but welcomes students from 41 states and 76 countries. Every Berea student receives a Tuition Promise Scholarship, which means no Berea student pays for tuition. Berea is one of nine federally recognized Work Colleges, so students work 10 hours or more weekly to earn money for books, housing and meals. The College’s motto, “God has made of one blood all peoples of the earth,” speaks to its inclusive Christian character.