Junior Achievement honors Peters Township sixth-grader
A Peters Township sixth-grader is among the youngest Junior Achievement 18 under Eighteen honorees for 2026, presented by the EQT Foundation.
Lily D’Antonio, who turned 12 on Feb. 7, created the Childhood Inclusion Pageant, which creates empowering, accessible events celebrating every child’s unique strengths.
Lily admits to dealing with bullying and a feeling that she didn’t belong. The Peters Township Middle School student turned those challenges into an initiative to help others who may feel the same way.
“The purpose of the pageant was to create a space for individuals who are typically made to feel (that they don’t fit in) to give them an opportunity to feel confident and beautiful,” Lily explained. “They get to have a day to spend with their families and friends that is truly about them, celebrating their abilities and their strengths. It’s about giving them one day out of the 365 days of the year that’s truly focused on them and them only.”
The Childhood Inclusion Pageant is held annually on the Saturday before Martin Luther King Jr. Day at St. John XXIII Parish’s Pope Benedict Center
As many as 100 dresses are donated for participants as well as free makeup services. Community members donate baskets for raffles, and others volunteer the time on the day of the event. All proceeds go to charity. The most recent pageant, the second held, raised $4,000 for Variety Pittsburgh, a program for children with disabilities, and $800 for the Peters Township Best Buddies program.
The 2025 pageant had 14 participants, and this year there were 17, ranging in age 2 to 20. Participants model their dresses but are judged in various personality categories.
“It’s very focused on them and are they having a good time and the positivity of the event that we try to portray in as many ways as possible,” Lily said.
This year’s participants came from as far as Charleston, W.Va., and Butler County.
Lily said the 2024 Miss Little Italy Pageant in Bloomfield triggered the idea for her annual event. She initially entered the pageant because she thought it would be fun and ended up winning.
“I met so many people from the pageant community who are doing community service initiatives,” Lily said. “That really opened my eyes to how many kids who feel like they’re left out on a regular basis and how important it is to get involved in the community, even though I was only 10 years old. I was able to blend my love for working with these individuals with something that was relevant to me.”
Christy D’Antonio, Lily’s mother, is proud of her daughter’s accomplishments.
“Seeing her be able to give back to these individuals and families is personally rewarding to me,” Christy D’Antonio said. “I think her impact has been greater than I could have ever imagined with her vision becoming a reality in such a quick window of time. I definitely think there’s only more greatness coming in the next couple of years.”
This is the fifth year for the Junior Achievement’s 18 Under Eighteen. During that time, 90 youths from across 10 counties have been recognized. Lily is the fifth Washington County resident to be honored and one of the youngest to receive the honor.
“In just five years, we’ve had the privilege of elevating 90 young people whose ideas, compassion, and leadership are transforming communities,” said Patrice Matamoros, president of Junior Achievement. “This program not only recognizes achievement, but it builds a lasting alumni network where honorees collaborate, inspire, and even launch new initiatives together. We see those same qualities in this year’s class and can’t wait to watch their impact grow.”
Other awardees for this year include Vanshika Jain of Mt. Lebanon High School and Lily Baumgardner of Baldwin High School.
Jain, 16, is founder of the student chapter of DTCare, leading more than 60 students in distributing more than $20,000 in annual donations to children and families in need. Baumgardner, 16, is the founder of “Hear About Her,” a women’s empowerment event that brings together accomplished women from across Pittsburgh to speak with women at Baldwin High School.
In addition to their recognition, honorees participate in the Intern to VP Professional Branding and Leadership Development Training Program, presented by Moments of Focus LLC.
As for the future, the hope is for Lily to create a nonprofit, making the pageant part of larger initiatives.
“My perspective has changed as to what fitting in is,” D’Antonio said. “Fitting in to me now is I’m creating spaces where everyone fits in. You don’t always have to be a certain mold or act a certain way or look a certain way to be a part of a conversation or be in the room. I do feel a sense of belonging and meaning and purpose, especially now that I’m starting this stuff.”