Amanda Kelly '08 will vie for the Miss America crown Saturday night

Amanda Lynn Theresa Kelly ‘08

After being selected as Miss Massachusetts 2009 last summer, Amanda Lynn Theresa Kelly ‘08 will hit the national stage this Saturday, Jan. 30, to compete in the 2010 Miss America Pageant.

While winning the title would be nice, Kelly told BrandeisNOW that she's excited just to have the opportunity to promote her platform, as an advocate for the Make-a-Wish Foundation, on television screens across the country. Her cause is a personal one. She started participating in pageants after her youngest sister, Vanessa, was diagnosed with cancer and became a Make-a-Wish recipient, because Kelly saw it as a way to give back to those organizations that help young cancer patients and their families.

The 2010 Miss America Pageant will air at 8 p.m. on cable television station TLC.