Business meets pageantry: Kylie Ryder’s journey to Miss Illinois
Business meets pageantry: Kylie Ryder’s journey to Miss Illinois
Over the past few years, Kylie Ryder (Marketing ’25) has been building a business—but not in the traditional sense. She’s in the business of personal branding, both online and onstage, as she competes in the Miss Illinois pageant through the Miss America organization.
And she’s already found success. Ryder, who grew up west of Chicago, was crowned Miss Illinois Outstanding Teen in 2021. Now, she’s vying for the title of Miss Illinois 2025 after winning Miss Heart of Illinois. She credits much of her success to her education at the Wilson College of Business, where she’s gained the tools to navigate the branding and business side of pageantry.
“I’m essentially selling my brand when I’m onstage or going through pageant interviews,” said Ryder, a marketing major with an emphasis in advertising and digital media. “I can easily connect the dots from my marketing and advertising classes to competition. Eventually, it’s something I can connect to my career.”
That foundation is one of the main reasons Ryder chose UNI, for its strong, affordable and practical business education. She’s made the most of her time on campus, getting involved in several student organizations, including the Public Relations Student Society of America, American Advertising Federation, Panther Mayhem, UNI’s athletic department and the UNI Dance Team — where she served as captain for two years.
As she competes for Miss Illinois, Ryder regularly draws on the skills she’s developed through these experiences.
A standout example is her work in UNI’s digital marketing course, which challenges students to create a brand and grow a social media presence. Ryder launched Mind Games, an initiative advocating for student-athlete mental health, and built a small following online. Community service is a major component of the Miss Illinois judging criteria, and Mind Games has become a key part of her platform, demonstrating her ability to use business skills to support a cause she deeply cares about.
I talk about this organization all the time during Miss Illinois interviews. And I credit all that work to the coursework at UNI. If it hadn’t been for UNI, I wouldn’t have developed a social media presence or really found my passion for student-athlete mental health.”
She also applied what she learned from that class to grow her own social media following, producing short-form videos that have helped her amass nearly 50,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok.
The benefits of school and pageant competition go both ways. Competing for Miss Illinois means going through dozens of interviews for practice and competition, sharpening Ryder’s communication skills. Recently, she was part of the UNI AAF team that won first place at the District 9 National Student Advertising Competition. Ryder was one of four team presenters and received high praise for her polished presentation skills.
As Ryder continues her journey toward the Miss Illinois stage in 2025 and prepares to graduate from the Wilson College of Business, she feels confident in her readiness for a career in digital media.
“I think I’m well set up for success,” she said. “UNI and the Wilson College of Business give us so many resources, real-world experiences and connections. I’m able to link that to my Miss Illinois journey, and I think it makes me really unique and well-prepared for whatever comes next.”
