LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY – Before the pageant crowns and bright lights, Ariana Rodriguez was a child in Kentucky’s foster care system, moving between more than 20 homes and facing uncertainty at every turn. Now crowned Miss Kentucky 2026, she’s using her platform to help other children navigate the struggles she once endured.
From Foster Care to the Miss America Stage
Rodriguez, 20, will represent the state at the upcoming Miss America 2026 competition. Her journey has been defined by resilience. She recalls nights spent living out of a car at 16 and the challenges of switching between schools in Louisville, Lexington, Nelson County, and beyond.
Pageants became her gateway to opportunity, offering scholarships she couldn’t access through traditional financial aid programs for foster youth. But pageantry also required a community service initiative, which inspired her to launch The Lucky Ones, an organization supporting children in foster care.
“No matter where you’ve come from, no matter how old you are, you can control your future,” Rodriguez said. “Even when people are telling you what that should look like, you’re the only one who ultimately makes those decisions.”
Building The Lucky Ones
Founded in 2023, The Lucky Ones nonprofit has grown to include dozens of volunteers and 13 board members. It provides resources ranging from suitcases for children entering foster care to free driving classes and life skills programs for teens aging out of the system…