CHARLESTON , S.C. — Florence native Sydney Sprenger, Miss Charleston County, placed in the Top 10 at the Miss SC USA pageant June 15, at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center in North Charleston.
The 22-year-old mom competed in the two-day competition among 37 other contestants from the state in interview, swimsuit, evening gown, and sharing of platforms — one of the highlights that attracted Sprenger to the competition. This was Sprenger’s second time competing in the pageant, but the first time since the organization extended eligibility to women over the age of 18, regardless of marital status, as well as women who are pregnant or have children. Sprenger said the decision to compete led her into a new career and self discovery of the power of her own message.
“I thought that I kind of needed that title and platform to get out and do community outreach and to be able to make a difference and then I realized I’ve already built a platform for myself. I think that it was important for me to realize I don’t need the crown and sash to be able to do that.” Her pageant platform was an initiative she calls ITPA (Ignite Teen Parental Alliance) that she created from personal experience.
It focuses on mental health, role, and resources for young mothers, tools she said she learned from a free pregnancy resource center in Florence — A Choice to Make. Without consciously recording it, she’s been building a story of resiliency long before she stepped onto the Miss.
