In her classroom at Swansea Elementary School in Denver, Katya Lopez is known as “Miss Kat.” But outside of school, she has another title.
Lopez was crowned “Miss Denver” in October of 2024, just two months after moving to Denver with Teach for America. Lopez, who is originally from Texas, started competing in pageants to earn scholarship money for college. She was named Miss San Antonio in 2024 and has used her platform to advocate for arts equity in education.
“When I was about five years old, I had moved to the border between Texas and Mexico, and I wasn’t able to be in a play for over 10 years because of lack of access,” she said.
Lopez’s theatrical talents will be on display when she competes for the title of Miss Colorado June 12-14. She plans to sing “Don’t Rain on My Parade” from the musical “Funny Girl” for the talent portion. She will also have to complete an interview with the judges and model an evening gown and fitness attire…