Sydni Dion Bennett is the new Miss Illinois USA

Sydni Dion Bennett was crowned Miss Illinois USA 2021 at the end of the gala, held on June 27, 2021 at Braden Auditorium, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois. She beated 71 candidates to win the title and succeed Miss Illinois USA 2020, Olivia Pura. She earned the right to represent the Prairie State at the next edition of Miss USA, to be held in November 2021 in Tulsa, OK.

Hailing from Algonquin, Illinois, the 20-year-old beauty queen is the youngest and the only girl among four siblings. She attended the Chicago Academy for the Arts and was an impressively decorated regional and national winning soloist, and has contributed greatly to a variety of successes with her dance company. Her tenacity and hard work have resulted in a variety of opportunities within the dance industry. At the age of ten years old, Sydni received the opportunity to travel to China to represent the United States at an international cultural festival, where she toured the country dancing in colorful parades and events. She is now a ballet instructor at Perfection Dance Artistry and Company dance studio.

When Sydni Dion isn’t dancing you can find her serving her community and being an active member of her church, Life Changers International Church. In the fifth grade, Sydni Dion made the decision to pursue her philanthropic endeavors by assisting a variety of charitable organizations. Whether she is filling backpacks for youth in need of school supplies or feeding the hungry, Sydni prefers to be as hands on as possible with service work.   In 2019, she launched Diverse Style by Syndi Dion.

Sydni is not a newbie to the pageantry. She was the first African-American girl to win the title of Miss Illinois Teen USA in 2018 and represented her state at the 2018 Miss Teen USA, where she finished third runner-up.

The 2021 Miss Illinois’s court includes :

Miss Illinois USA 2021 – Sydni Dion Bennett (Greater Midwest)

1st Runner-up – Abby Foster (East Central)

2nd Runner-up – Angel Reyes (Hermosa)

3rd Runner-up – Ciara Jasso (Northern Illinois)

4th Runner-up – Catherine Kennebeck (Barrington)