Ashburn native and volunteer firefighter crowned Miss Virginia

By Karen Graham April 20, 2022

Kailee Horvath of Ashburn was crowned Miss Virginia on April 16. Courtesy Photo/Rezanationstudio.

An Ashburn native who also serves as a volunteer firefighter was crowned Miss Virginia and will compete in the upcoming Miss USA pageant later this year.

Kailee Horvath, a 2017 graduate of Broad Run High School, competed with 24 other contestants in the Miss Virginia pageant at the Hylton Performing Arts Center at George Mason University on Saturday.

The pageant included three segments – an interview with a panel of judges and the swim suit and evening gown competitions.

While she felt that she performed well, Horvath told the Times-Mirror she was surprised and overwhelmed to win the competition.

“It’s so surreal,” she said. “It is very overwhelming, but it was very fun.”

After she expressed an interest in serving her community as a firefighter, she joined the Ashburn Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department during her senior year in high school. She is currently a nursing student at Marymount University in Arlington and will graduate next spring.

In 2021, Horvath graduated from fire school and currently serves as a sergeant at the Ashburn Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department on Ashburn Road.

She has continued with her work at the Ashburn fire department, even while in college, and she hopes to find a blend of emergency work and nursing after graduation.

“Working in the trauma ICU would be interesting, but I am open to anything. We will see where I end up,” she said.

Horvath said her fellow EMTs and firefighters in Ashburn were very supportive of her competing, and she said she hopes that she is able to inspire others to serve.

“Females in the fire service are few and far between. But I hope to inspire people to join the fire service. The guys at the fire department are very supportive and encouraging. They are always willing to give me a tip or trick or work with me if I am struggling with something,” she said.

In her fire class, about one-third were women, which was the highest number they had seen go through an academy class, she said.

“Nothing is easier for us. You still have to rescue people and do the same tasks and skills as men, even if it might be a little harder,” she said.

Horvath has been competing in pageants for about 10 years, she said. She started in the Miss Virginia USA organization as a teen in 2015. This was her sixth attempt at a Miss Virginia USA state title.

She says she wanted to compete because she was shy and by participating in the competitions it has helped her develop life skills and meet many “amazing friends.”

“I truly wouldn’t be the person I am today if I hadn’t competed,” she said.

Her message to other young women is to remember to “reach for your dreams and try to overcome obstacles.”

“There is no limit to what you can achieve if you work hard and believe in yourself,” she said.

Over the next few months, she will prepare for the Miss USA pageant by working on her interview skills, building a wardrobe for the competition and prepping with a personal trainer and nutrition coach.

“There is a lot of mental preparation that goes into the competition. It’s a huge deal and I’m really excited to compete at that caliber. I want to stay my authentic self and hope that is enough,” she said.

https://www.loudountimes.com/news/ashburn-native-and-volunteer-firefighter-crowned-miss-virginia/article_f4f7ec46-c0b8-11ec-9fe8-5b8d9ae9136d.html