Miss Illinois Teen USA 2019 A’Maiya Allen is a resident of Bolingbrook, IL. She is a freshman broadcast journalism major at Howard University, where she is in the Cathy Hughes School of Communications Honor’s College as an Annenberg Scholar, and a member of the Freshman Leadership Academy (FLA).

Naturally, an introvert, A’Maiya used the world of pageantry to overcome her shyness by launching her platform, “High Heels High Hopes” as a means to reach young girls who lack confidence. She has been a member of Jack & Jill of America for five years and during that time served as the chapter Secretary, Vice-President, and a delegate at the National Legislative “On the Hill” Summit in Washington, DC.

A pageant girl with a heart for service, A’Maiya is a two-time Presidential Volunteer Service Award Recipient. She has volunteered by preparing and serving meals for families of patients at the Ronald McDonald House, led teams for the Relay for Life with the American Cancer Society, and participated in walks for the Making Strides against Breast Cancer, American Heart Association and March of Dimes. She coordinated a Jeans for Teens drive where she partnered with a local middle school and clothing retailer to collect over 2,000 pairs of jeans for donation to homeless teens. In conjunction with this initiative, she hosted a Saturday Night “Sleep Out” with area teens to highlight teen homelessness.

In her spare time, A’Maiya enjoys listening to music, playing the clarinet and alto saxophone. She also loves rocking the runway in charity fashion shows for suicide prevention and student led scholarship initiative at Benedictine University.