CORRECTION: Kayla Kosmalski will attend Wilmington University. An earlier version of this story named another college choice cited in one of Kosmalski's TikTok videos.
TikTok star Kayla Kosmalski has a knack for going viral, and it's bound to happen again if the Middletown resident gets crowned Miss Teen USA in Los Angeles this week.
The competition features 51 accomplished young women representing all 50 states and the District of Columbia at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Thursday, Aug. 1. The event will be broadcasted on The CW Network from 8-10 p.m. EST.
Kosmalski, 18, made history in April when she became the first contestant with Down syndrome ever to win the Miss Delaware Teen USA pageant, a victory that qualified her to compete for the national crown in LA this week.
She's been competing in pageants since she was a little girl.
Delaware teen Kayla Kosmalski has over 403,000 TikTok fans
In early spring, before she graduated from Middletown High, Kosmalski's TikTok account ballooned from 236,000 followers and now includes more than 403,000 fans. Her most popular video has 28.4 million views .
The influencer's TikTok page features lots of videos from her cheerleading days at Middletown High, along with clips of her competing on the swim team.
Kosmalski has charmed fans this year with various videos about the four-year colleges she’s been accepted into, including the University of Delaware, Penn State and Loyola University. The TikTok star has settled on Wilmington University where she'll be on the cheer team, says her mom, Amy Kosmalksi.
Kayla Kosmalski lands movie role from TikTok fame
The teen makes a point to share TikToks of herself having fun and living life.
The purpose of her TikTok platform is to "promote acceptance and inclusion of Kayla and all of her friends like her," Kayla's mom recently told The News Journal/Delaware Online in a profile article about the TikTok influencer published March 20, the day before Kayla attended a red-carpet event in Oviedo, Florida, for her debut film role in the inspirational movie "I Win."
Kayla landed a role in "I Win" after director Robin Hoffman found her on TikTok, which led to an audition, she said. The film was shot last year in Orlando and Kayla spent four weeks on set, first arriving in June and then flying back out to film her fourth and final week in October.
"I Win" is an uplifting drama distributed through Hoffy’s Heart Productions and is a tale of bullying and friendship. It shines a light on others with Down syndrome like Kayla.
The movie includes cameos from Kayla’s parents, grandma and younger siblings Logan and Brynnley.
Kayla's mom previously told The News Journal the goal is for the film to get picked up by a major streaming platform.
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Kayla Kosmalski talks Down syndrome before Miss Teen USA
In Kayla's latest TikTok video, posted on July 21, she explained how she's been getting prepared for the Miss USA Teen pageant.
"The truth is I've been preparing my whole life. Countless hours of speech therapy. And physical therapy. Working hard to learn basic things that come natural to most. Like walking," Kayla said in the TikTok .
"I've worked hard to prove to myself and the world that people with Down syndrome belong on every stage and every space. We shouldn't have to prove our worth. But often times we do.
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"As Miss Teen USA I will show the world that EVERYONE BELONGS. And that being kind is far greater than bullying. My message to the world is this ... the only disability in life is a bad attitude," she said.
"Whatever dream you have, you can achieve it. Dream big. Work hard. Anything is possible when you believe!"
How can I watch Miss Teen USA 2024?
The pageant will broadcast on The CW Network from 8-10 p.m. EST on Thursday, Aug. 1. For more info, visit themissusa.com .
If you have an interesting story idea, email lifestyle reporter Andre Lamar at alamar@gannett.com . Consider signing up for his weekly newsletter, DO Delaware, at delawareonline.com/newsletters .
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware TikTok teen talks Down syndrome before Miss Teen USA pageant
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