Jenna Martorana is a passionate mental health advocate, educator, and entrepreneur from Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Multidisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Applied Disability Studies and a minor in Psychology from Millersville University. She went on to earn her master’s degree in School Counseling from Kutztown University, where she also served as President of the NAMI KU Club and was inducted into Chi Sigma Iota, the international counseling honor society.
Jenna currently works as a dedicated elementary school counselor, supporting students’ academic, social, and emotional growth. She is an active volunteer with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), partnering with local chapters across Pennsylvania to raise awareness and promote mental wellness.
In addition to her counseling work, Jenna is the author of three children’s books—Pearl’s Purpose, Pearl’s Person, and If You Give a Pageant Queen a Crown—which promote mental health awareness and empowerment for young readers. A lifelong performer, Jenna began baton twirling at the age of four and later joined color guard, earning multiple regional, state, and national titles throughout her competitive career.
Her creativity extends beyond the stage; Jenna is also the founder of Sparkling Designs and Gifts, a small business she has successfully owned and operated for over five years. In July 2024, she was crowned Ms. Pennsylvania Collegiate USA, a title she uses to further her platform, It’s Okay To Not Be Okay, and continue inspiring others through her story of resilience and hope.
Get To Know Me
My Mental Health Journey
My mental health journey began in high school when I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety, and later in life, with ADHD. Looking back, I now recognize how much I struggled as a child and how I developed unhealthy coping mechanisms just to get by. Receiving those diagnoses gave me clarity—it helped me understand that there was a reason behind the way I was thinking, feeling, and reacting to the world around me.
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College was an especially challenging time. Balancing academics, navigating changing relationships, and trying to figure out who I was and where I was headed often felt overwhelming. My mental health suffered as I tried to keep up, and there were times I truly didn’t believe I’d make it through. But college also taught me the importance of self-care—what it means to pause, to reflect, and to pour back into myself so I could keep showing up for others. It was through the struggle that I discovered a deep inner strength I didn’t know I had.
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Today, I still live with mental health conditions, but they no longer define or control me. I take a proactive approach—managing my mental health through therapy, medication, self-care, and movement. In my final year of college, I entered the world of pageantry, which became a turning point in my life. It gave me the confidence to develop my platform, "It’s Okay To Not Be Okay," and use my voice to advocate for others who may be struggling in silence.
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Since then, I’ve partnered with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) at the local, state, and national levels to share my story and promote mental health awareness. I never imagined that a crown would help me find my purpose—but it did. My journey inspired me to become a school counselor, where I now help students understand that it’s okay to ask for help and that their emotions are valid.
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To extend that message even further, I’ve published three children’s books—Pearl’s Purpose, Pearl’s Person, and If You Give a Pageant Queen a Crown—to help young readers understand the importance of taking care of their mental health and to spark honest, age-appropriate conversations around emotional well-being.
