Miss Ohio preps for Miss USA

Mecca resident promotes youth entrepreneurship

MAY 7, 2018

RENEE FOX

Tribune Chronicle / R. Michael Semple Miss Ohio USA 2018, Deneen Penn, 20, a 2015 graduate of Maplewood High School, talks about the Miss USA competition in Shreveport-Bossier, Louisiana, later this month and her small business called Queen Bee Honey in Mecca.

Mecca’s own Miss Ohio, a 20-year-old college student and business owner, is using her national platform to promote entrepreneurship and in a few short weeks will compete against women from across the nation for the title of Miss USA 2018.

Deneen Penn was born in Andover and moved to Mecca in 2010, graduating from Maplewood High School in 2015.

In October 2017, Penn started building the makings of a small business, Queen Bee Honey.

“Like worker bees working to support the longevity of the hive, I want to teach young people the value of working hard and pursuing entrepreneurship. That is what I love about being Miss Ohio, is I get to travel to the schools and share my message. Reaching the kids at a young age can teach them the importance of getting started at a young age,” Penn said.

Penn tries to visit a different school every week and brings the students pollinating flowers. In between drives to Columbus, where her Miss USA gowns are kept hidden away as a closely-guarded secret, to practice her walk, she also studies at Kent State University. She is a junior, pursuing a master’s of science in business administration and a bachelor’s of architecture. She made the dean’s list earlier this year.

In 2007, Penn was Little Miss Pymatuning and went on to become Miss Pymatuning in 2013, Miss Trumbull County Fair in 2014 and Miss Ohio Collegiate America 2017.

“I like pageants because I like being involved in the community. My dad’s a Marine, my mom is a nurse. I see the pageants as a way to walk in their shoes and get involved,” Penn said.

Penn said she was inspired to study business because she grew up watching her family’s business in Andover and was the kind of kid who always wanted to help, playing cash register. When her family moved to Trumbull County in 2010, she watched the blueprints for the house her parents built “come alive before my eyes” and was inspired to study the subject.

“Bees are architects, too — they build their house up and support the hive. That is the kind of message I want to share with young people. Much like bees, you have to build your life up through work, or you won’t have a place to live or food on the table,” Penn said.

Penn has about 200,000 Italian honey bees on her parents’ property in Mecca. About once per week she dresses in her beekeeping suit and hood and tends to the bees.

“It requires a lot of patience. They are a bit more work than a gold fish and a lot easier than a cat,” Penn said.

Her first honey harvest is scheduled for August.

Penn said being Miss Ohio is a pleasure, but it isn’t always easy to fit everything into her schedule.

“I have to be very organized. My planner is my bible. But being out there, sharing my message, it makes me feel good. It’s where I shine,” Penn said.

When Penn meets students, they sometimes think she is a princess living in a castle. If she wins Miss USA, she’ll move to a New York City flat, in the same building as Miss Universe, a competition she will compete in if she wins the pageant May 21.

Penn said she tells the kids they all have a crown.

“And when you volunteer and help your community, you earn another jewel in your crown,” Penn said.

During the live broadcast on Fox, the top 15 contestants, selected after competitions in the days leading up to the airing, will be profiled before a winner is crowned.

To prepare for the swimsuit and evening gown portion of the pageant, Penn works out twice per day and eats healthy foods.

“Except when I ride my bike to Dairy Queen,” Penn said.

http://www.tribtoday.com/news/local-news/2018/05/miss-ohio-preps-for-miss-usa/