“My love for community service and connecting with others is what fuels me. While the relationships I have built through Ship, ROTC and Miss Lancaster County are what help me stay grounded and inspired,” Davis shared.
On September 27, 2025, Shippensburg University student Kathryn Davis was crowned Miss Lancaster County 2026 through the Miss America Opportunity. This role allows her to represent her hometown and the Shippensburg University community.
“I believe this journey provides a unique way to showcase the university’s commitment to empowering students to make a difference both locally and beyond,” Davis explained.
As a history major and ROTC cadet, Davis is motivated by serving and educating others. “Service has always been central to my journey,” she said. “It is the reason I co-founded PhlebotomyFam: Encouraging Family Blood Donation, inspired by my experience as a survivor of the 2010 LCBC youth group bus crash. It is also why I was drawn to the Miss America Opportunity, given its strong emphasis on service and scholarship and why I am proud to train as a member of the Shippensburg ROTC program.”
Her nonprofit, PhlebotomyFam, was co-founded alongside her mother, Jozlyn Grodski. “Our mission is to inspire families to donate blood together, raising awareness about the importance of blood donation in local communities,” Davis said. “We partner with organizations like the Red Cross of Greater Pennsylvania and Central PA Blood Bank to help fill donor chairs and make a tangible difference in patient care.”
After surviving the 2021 LCBC bus crash, Davis saw firsthand how life-saving blood donations can be. “It was a moment that changed me forever and inspired me to take action.” Since its founding in July 2023, Davis and her mother have focused on promoting existing blood drives that are often underserved.
Before attending Ship, Davis served as Miss Lancaster County’s Teen 2024 and Miss Greater Reading’s Teen 2025. These experiences have helped shape her confidence and sense of pride. “The experiences I gained through the Miss America Opportunity prepared me to be a successful first-year student at Shippensbrug and made me interested in joining ROTC,” Davis shared. “I’m grateful to get to build upon these experiences while furthering my education, and serving my country and community.”
Through Ship’s ROTC program, Davis plans to graduate as a Second Lieutenant in the US Army. She is also preparing for the Miss Pennsylvania crown and pursuing her lifelong dream of performing as a Radio City Rockette. “My focus is the graduate from Shippensburg, serve in the Army, work to become Miss Pennsylvania and hopefully a Radio City Rockette along the way,” she said.
This Miss America Opportunity emphasizes service, scholarship and success, values that align with Davis’s life at Ship. “It is the values I have learned as a part of Miss America that brought me to Ship,” Davis highlighted. “Through the Miss America Opportunity, I am able to continue my academic career with scholarship dollars, achieve success in multifaceted ways and serve Pennsylvania. Whether it’s classes, camo or crowns, I get to be Kathryn in all of it.”
Balancing her academic, ROTC, and pageant responsibilities takes discipline and teamwork. “Balance is always a challenge, but I thrive by staying organized, prioritizing my commitments, and remembering why I am doing what I do,” she said. “I would not make it long without my Google calendar or the support of the people around me, especially my mom.”
Davis hopes that her story will inspire others to find a way to serve their community and beyond. “I want to continue encouraging community service, leadership and education,” she said. “Through PhlebotomyFam, school visits and public appearances, I hope to inspire others to use their unique talents and voices to serve.”
