About Me
Accountant. MBA Candidate. Model. Pageant Competitor. Advocate.
Hi, I’m Megan Dems - an accounting professional, MBA candidate, CPA candidate, model, pageant competitor, and community advocate based in Syracuse, New York.
My journey has never fit neatly into one box. I’ve built a career in accounting and finance while pursuing graduate education, competing on pageant stages, working as a professional model, and using my platform to advocate for causes that are deeply important to me.
At the center of all of it is a commitment to growth, resilience, and creating a life that reflects both who I am and who I am becoming.
Pageantry & Modeling
Pageantry and modeling have become an important part of my personal and professional development.
I have represented Syracuse as Miss Syracuse for America Strong and have competed on the state stage at Miss New York for America Strong, where I was honored to receive the Miss Congeniality award. In 2026, I also competed for the title of Miss New York USA, representing Syracuse alongside women from across New York State.
My involvement in the pageant community has expanded beyond competing. I have had the opportunity to serve as both a pageant auditor and pageant judge, experiences that have given me an entirely different perspective on the industry and strengthened my appreciation for the confidence, preparation, and personal growth pageantry can foster.
Alongside pageantry, I have pursued professional modeling, including runway and fashion opportunities. Modeling has challenged me creatively and given me another space to develop confidence, presence, and self-expression.
What started as stepping outside of my comfort zone has grown into a journey that has taken me onto stages, runways, photoshoots, and opportunities I once would not have imagined for myself.
Professionally & Academically
My professional background is in accounting and finance, with experience in both public accounting and nonprofit financial operations. I currently work as a Staff Accountant at Abundant Life Church, where my role extends across day-to-day accounting operations, accounts payable, reconciliations, revenue processing, financial systems, and process improvement.
Before transitioning into nonprofit accounting, I worked in public accounting, an experience that gave me a strong technical foundation and helped shape the kind of finance professional and leader I want to become.
Alongside my career, I am pursuing my MBA through Syracuse University’s Martin J. Whitman School of Management with a concentration in Accounting. I am also pursuing the CPA designation and continuing to develop my technical accounting, financial analysis, strategy, and leadership skills.
My long-term goal is to continue growing into financial leadership, particularly within organizations where strong financial management can support a larger mission and meaningful impact.