Alumna Spotlight: Chapel Tinius

Tinius uses her voice as Miss Kentucky to advocate for veteran support 

Musical theatre and corporate communications alumna Chapel Tinius (‘22) had been involved in the Miss America world for more than a decade when she won the Miss Kentucky honor in June. Now, she is using her title to educate young Kentuckians about mental and physical health, the state’s agriculture and the importance of supporting veterans.  

A Bluegrass Princess and Miss Kentucky’s Teen 

Tinius first joined the Miss America organization more than a decade ago through the Bluegrass Princess mentorship program, now called the Little Sisters program.  Ann-Blair Thornton, who would go on to win Miss Kentucky in 2011, was Tinius’ mentor and showed her the service-oriented nature of the program. Inspired by her grandfather, Thornton’s community service initiative focused on supporting individuals with Alzheimer’s.  

Upon discovering that Miss Kentucky had a teen division, Tinius began competing in it and was ultimately named Miss Kentucky’s Outstanding Teen in 2016. During this time, she created a community service initiative that took inspiration from her mentor’s love for her grandfather and combined it with her own love of service and family history.  

Tinius’ service initiative, “Operation Gratitude: For the Fallen, For the Fighting, For the Veterans,” seeks to support veterans and military personnel in recognition of her grandfathers, both of whom were WWII veterans. Growing up so close to two figures who experienced and overcame the hardships of war inspired her to create an initiative to support veterans and their families. 

“I saw firsthand the implication that war can have on someone physically, and we know now that there are so many things that we cannot see that veterans and military members go through each and every day,” Tinius explained. “I find it extremely important that we continue to thank those who have served. I think the biggest thing that we can do is put our actions behind our gratitude.”  

Through connections made in her community, and later as a student at Belmont, Tinius has partnered with organizations like the Honor Flight Network and Carry the Load, which work to honor veterans and their families through celebrations, access to therapy, moments of storytelling and more. 

On the Belmont Stage 

Tinius came to Belmont as a freshman in 2018 upon recommendations from friends and family. “I'm from Bowling Green, Kentucky, so Nashville was never too far away,” she said. “I'd always heard about Belmont, and when I toured it, I absolutely fell in love with the campus. I fell in love with the community.” 

She began her Belmont career as a musical theatre major and picked up a minor in corporate communication. When COVID put theatre performances on hold in 2020, she decided to make corporate communications a double major. She became the first Belmont student to graduate with a second degree on top of a B.F.A. in musical theatre.  

“I was not thinking future-focused when COVID hit,” she said, “but I absolutely loved it. Belmont was so accommodating, making sure that I could make everything happen for both majors.”  

She credits her success in both majors to the relationships she formed with faculty and fellow students. Because the musical theatre department is so small, its community became a second family. Her private voice teacher, Jo Lynn Burks, had been involved with Miss America in the past and was able to support her through her years of competing in Miss Kentucky.  

Miss Kentucky 

Tinius competed in the Miss Kentucky competition four times, including during her time at Belmont. When she won the title in 2024, she once again used her platform to educate and uplift.  

Along with promoting Operation Gratitude, Tinius spends her days as Miss Kentucky traveling across the state and educating young people about the industries of their own communities. Miss Kentucky is one of the few Miss America programs in the country in which the titleholder works directly with her state throughout the year. In Tinius’ case, she works with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture.  

“My official job duty is official spokesperson for Kentucky Proud, which is a marketing program for anything that is grown, produced or processed in the state of Kentucky,” she explained. “I also get to speak to students about healthy habits and making sure that they understand our Food is Medicine campaign. Plus, I get to touch on my community service initiative.” 

She credits her accomplishments in this work to the education she received through her double major. “I definitely use every single skill that I've learned from both of those majors in my role as Miss Kentucky,” she said.  

Musical theatre teaches students how to capture an audience’s attention, and corporate communications teaches how to be an attentive audience. With an education that covers both sides of a conversation, Tinius is now adept at navigating relationships with people across the state and across the country. 

Each of these aspects help prepare Tinius for the upcoming Miss America competition, Jan. 1-5, 2025. Her time as a Belmont student and her year supporting her platforms as Miss Kentucky (along with her Belmont-approved talent of playing the fiddle) guarantee she will represent her school and her state with wisdom and grace.