Miss USA 2013 Wants to Help You Learn to Code

BY ZOE HENRY

What's next for media starlet, Miss USA 2013? Contrary to popular belief, she won't be heading for Hollywood. Rather, she's tackling the gender discrepancy in math and science.

The national pageant winner, along with the founder of LearnToProgram Media, Mark Lassoff, just launched a Kickstarter campaign yesterday to raise money for their upcoming web series. Dubbed Code Café, the webinar will feature Erin Brady learning how to code right along with viewers, in 9 episodes spanning two separate seasons. Lassoff and Brady hope to raise a total of $15,000 in crowdfunding, which will go towards production, editing, media costs and equipment. The series itself will be free of charge, thus attracting both individuals and schools.

"Over the course of my year as Miss USA, I had the opportunity to meet impactful women in the STEM industries," says Brady. This, she adds, alerted her to some pretty harsh realities: While 74 percent of girls in middle school express interest in pursuing STEM, less than 1 percent of high school girls opt to major in computer science in college. Only 14 percent of all engineers worldwide are women, and in the U.S., women are estimated to make just 77 centsfor every male dollar earned.

Incidentally, studies show that many of the women who do pursue jobs in the tech world end up leaving for other fields. Generally speaking, it's not for lack of interest: Rampant sexism, which translates into an unsupportive work environment, is one commonly cited factor. And it's not just women getting the short end of the stick: Many argue that the field itself suffers from the gender imbalance. "When you limit yourself to half of the population...we lose some of the best and the brightest," Lassoff told Inc. The best way to tackle the issue, he says, is to get women interested in coding early. After all, coding has become a big part of "modern literacy...[It's the] sheer power to crunch numbers and solve really big problems." Indeed, everyone from politicians to NBA stars to venture capitalists seem to agree that coding is the one, sure-fire career booster in almost any industry. And with Miss USA at this project's helm, Lassoff hopes to attract plenty of young female talent.

Code Café isn't the only initiative aiming to make Tech more egalitarian--just look at startups like GoldieBlox, a toymaker that gets girls interested in engineering. The company landed a SuperBowl commercial earlier this year, and also won the "Educational Toy of the Year" award for a product that helps girls build belt-drive machines. Such projects suggest that an uptick for women in STEM may certainly be in our future. But if the persistent pay gap--and high-profile sexist work conditions--are any indication, society still has a long way to go if we want to get them (and keep them) there.

Miss USA Prepares to Pass on the Crown

By CHEVEL JOHNSON, Associated Press 

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Miss USA Erin Brady can't believe her yearlong reign is coming to an end while a new journey for one of the 51 women seeking to replace her is just beginning.

"It's less than a week away now," Brady said in an interview with The Associated Press. "The countdown has begun." Brady, of South Glastonbury, Connecticut, relinquishes her crown Sunday when the 2014 pageant competition being held in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, selects a new Miss USA. Preliminary competitions in swimsuit and evening gown were scheduled for Wednesday at the Baton Rouge River Center. On Thursday, all 51 contestants will interview with judges to complete the preliminary competition. The top 20 will be chosen following the preliminary events and announced on Sunday. During her tenure, Brady said she's worked hard to break stereotypes about pageants and the women who compete in them. A graduate of Central Connecticut State University in finance, Brady said after her reign ends she plans to return to New York and pursue a job that can use her knowledge to serve a global market.

"We're very intelligent women with great personalities," she said. The women have been in Louisiana's capital city for more than a week, preparing for the contest that will propel one of them to the Miss Universe pageant later this year. They've visited a few of south Louisiana's plantations and other landmarks, including the old state capitol and governor's mansion, tasted some of the state's cuisine and cut loose a little at a karaoke bar. 
"I'm so blessed and so happy to be here," said Miss Idaho Yvette Bennett. "It's been so magical and amazing. Everyone's been so nice and welcoming." NBC will broadcast Sunday's competition at 7 p.m. CDT in a three-hour show that will include musical performances by country music hit-makers Florida-Georgia Line, rapper Nelly and Louisiana native Marc Broussard, whose set will include an appearance by the Dirty Dozen Brass Band.

Fans also will have the chance to save their favorite contestant during the evening gown competition through Twitter, using #SaveTheQueen along with a keyword that will be provided on screen during the live telecast.

Bennett, an art and communications graduate of Boise State, said if she wins the title, she hopes her success would help to inspire and motivate young girls. "I want to make sure they know that they can pursue their dreams no matter what and to remind them that they can make their dreams a reality," she said.

Miss USA 2013 Erin Brady on Life After the Crown & the Wounded Warrior Program

Miss USA 2013 Erin Brady's Farewell

Miss USA and Miss Teen USA to present at the Shorty Awards!

Miss USA 2013 Erin Brady and Miss Teen USA 2013 Cassidy Wolf, presented New York Life’s #KeepGoodGoing award at the 6th Annual Shorty Awards this past Monday, April 7th in New York City.

Miss Alabama USA 2014 Jessica Ahlberg, Miss USA 2013 Erin Brady meet fans at Birmingham Chinese Laundry event

by Mia Watkins

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama--A line of fans gathered on the first floor of the Van Maur store in Riverchase Galleria Saturday, March 8 to get some personal time with Miss Alabama USA 2014 Jessica Ahlberg and Miss USA 2013 Erin Brady. Brady and Ahlberg were on hand from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. for an appearance on behalf of the Chinese Laundry shoe brand, an official sponsor of the Miss USA pageant. “We here to model and show off the spring line for Chinese Laundry,” said Brady. Fans were able to meet and take pictures with the two. The first 100 in line also got a special gift from Chinese Laundry. DJ Rob Everette from 99.5 Vibe also spun tunes for the crowd during and before the meet and greet. Nine-year-old Janna Calhoun said she wanted to come to the event to meet the two. She said she enjoyed getting her picture taken with Ahlberg and Brady. “This was the first celebrity I was going to meet,” she said. Brady said her reign as Miss USA has been great.

“It’s been unbelievable,” she said. “I really didn’t know what to expect and it’s been everything I could have expected and more. I got to compete in Miss Universe and made it to the top 10. It’s crazy that the year’s almost over and I’m trying to figure out what’s next in my life.” She said she wants to get into hosting. “I’m hoping to get involved in some kind of hosting career,” she said. “I was a financial accountant before this so maybe tying in the finance aspect of my life too, but we’ll see I still have a couple more months left.” Ahlberg, who was crowned in November, said her time so far as Miss Alabama USA has been a fun experience. She will compete in the Miss USA pageant in the summer. “I’m still trying to get used to it, “she said. “I’m having so much fun and it’s been the coolest experience so far. Getting to hang out with Miss USA all weekend, I mean, and just getting to make an impact on our community and meeting all of the kids that I’ve been working with has been a really great time.” She hopes that appearances such as the Chinese Laundry event will encourage other young girls to think about the Miss Universe system.

“I really would like to get people involved, let people see us and learn about us and get more of a support system going and hopefully get those girls to want to compete,” she said. Olivia Stiznani, 8, is an example of one of the girls in the crowd Ahlberg hopes to inspire. She and her mother, Lisa, came across the event while shopping for pageant shoes. Ahlberg and Brady wished Olivia luck on her upcoming pageant and gave her an autograph. “I just thought it would be neat for her to see some role models like this,” Lisa said.

Miss USA Erin Brady on Pageant Fashion: ‘It’s Definitely Modernizing’

BY MEGHAN BLALOCK

Beauty pageants aren’t exactly a hotbed for forecasting the next season’s big runway trends, but it is true that more and more pageant contestants (and winners!) are opting to forego the traditionally sparkly, sequin pageant dresses for more high-fashion runway (and sometimes, even couture) looks. Miss USA Erin Brady wore a custom-made Sherri Hill dress (a brand loved by celebrities like Selena Gomez,Bella Thorne, and more) for her big win last June (below), so she knows this better than anyone.

“Pageant dresses are a lot of glitz, glam, and beading, and I think that’s great, but I love that runway is couture,” Brady told StyleCaster at the launch party for Richard Chai’s collaboration with leather designer Andrew Marc at Scoop in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood. “You can stand out in a different way that catches somebody’s eye without having all the glitz and glam.” “I’m actually happy to see that pageants are transitioning more into red carpet looks rather than that stereotypical pageant look,” she added. “It’s great to see that people are really looking at the styles and the different influences of each season and really trying to incorporate that into their looks more. It’s more couture and high-fashion, and it’s modernizing, which I think is great. It makes people look at pageants in a different light, and they get more attention from the fashion industry when they see things like that.”

So will we be seeing more and more couture on the stage at events like Miss USA and Miss Universe? Brady tells StyleCaster that she loved many of the dresses from Zang Toi’s glamorous Fall 2014 lineup, so keep your eyes peeled come June when she hosts the big competition!

Pillow fight! Manny Pacquiao vs. Miss USA Erin Brady

Miss USA Erin Brady, at Maxim party: 'Bummed' not to be attending Super Bowl

By Janelle Griffith/The Star-Ledger 

Miss USA winner, Erin Brady said she is "bummed" that she will not be attending the Super Bowl game at MetLife Stadium today, as the Denver Broncos face the Seattle Seahawks. Brady, a Connecticut resident, was a guest atMaxim's annual Super Bowl bash Saturday night at Espace in New York City.

"I will be cheering from hopefully, some kind of fun Super Bowl party with amazing food," Brady told The Star-Ledger. "I have a couple of options. I'm trying to figure out exactly what I want to do."

While in town this week, Brady said she took advantage of other Super Bowl-related activities such as Super Bowl Boulevard — a 14-block outdoor celebration — set up on Broadway between 34th and 47th streets. "I was there as they were setting up the big toboggan slide," she said. Brady also attended the NFL honors Saturday at Radio City Music Hall, which she described as "a really cool experience to be a part of."

Gambling with Miss USA: Erin Brady offers Super Bowl prop bet advice

The coin toss, the national anthem, the halftime show: hundreds of prop bets available add one more wrinkle of entertainment to the Super Bowl. Miss USA Erin Brady visited SB Nation to dole out some gambling advice for Super Bowl XLVIII!

Miss USA, Erin Brady, Is Officially Off the Market: Engagement Ring Pictures

Source: http://www.thepageantplanet.com

Miss USA 2013, Erin Brady recently posted a picture on her Instagram of her engagement ring with the caption, “Cheers to finally putting together the details on our wedding. Well, one day.”

Erin Brady entered the Miss Connecticut USA pageant in 2011, seeking to represent CT in the Miss USA 2012 competition. The East Hampton, Conn. Native placed first runner-up; not bad considering it was her first pageant, ever. About a month after the October 2011 event, Brady’s boyfriend Tony Capasso proposed, and she said yes.“He had it planned and he said, ‘Thank God you didn’t win because it totally would’ve blown our plans,’” Brady recalled in an interview with “The Ralphie Show.” “After the first Miss Connecticut USA Pageant we left for Italy, about three weeks later.”

The current titleholder revealed that she and Capasso discussed the idea of another try for the crown before she entered in 2012. “It was, ‘If this is something you want to do, by all means,” Brady noted of her fiancé’s response to her idea. “Obviously not knowing that I’d become Miss USA!”

Before competing on the USA stage, Brady had her wedding date set as the 9th of November, which we all know, was the date of the Miss Universe Pageant. “I wanted to live out my dream,” Brady told PEOPLE Magazine. She and her very understanding fiancé, Tony Capasso, discussed moving the date to a later time considering, pageant rules clearly state that titleholders are required to remain single throughout their reign.
Do you think Brady should be focusing on her big day right now or should she put it on the back burner and focus on the time left of her reign?

Miss Universe 2013: Bikini beauties strut their stuff ahead of pageant

Miss USA 2013, Erin Brady

The Miss Universe 2013 pageant is airing on Saturday, Nov. 9 from Crocus City Hall in Moscow. The preliminary swimsuit competition aired on November 5. Miss USA Erin Brady is 26 and hails from East Hampton, Connecticut. She used to work as a financial accountant and is training for her first marathon next year. 

Check out the rest of these gorgeous ladies from around the globe ...

Source: NY Daily News - Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/universe-2013-preliminaries-gallery-1.1508957#ixzz2jyX09Vsp

2013 Miss Universe: Beauties Wow in National Costumes; Miss Philippines Criticized For ‘Boring’ Terno Dress

By Lou Ramon Aguila | November 4, 2013 9:02 AM EST

2013 Miss Universe - The pre-pageant night shows continue on Sunday as 86 gorgeous ladies flaunted their authentic national costumes at the Miss Universe National Costume Show at Vegas Mall in Moscow,Russia.

Two days before the preliminary round of competition begins, the contestants were given the green light to show off their colorful and imaginative national costumes as they try to build momentum before the coronation night. As expected, the Latina beauties showcased their peacock like dresses while the others contestants took everybody to Carnival with their grandiose and finely detailed costumes.

Head Turner

Miss USA Erin Brady emerged as the head turner of the event after she showed up wearing a futuristic dress, trying to mimic one of the characters in the Transformers.

The costume received positive feedback from pageant followers with JHB online's John Baker calling it Powerful, impressive and original.

"Erin Brady #MissUSA in National Costume at #MissUniverse A female #Transformer! Powerful , impressive & original!," Baker stated on his Twitter account. "OMG @MissUSA 's costume for miss universe is so effing amazing," Menn Chan posted on her Twitter account.

Brady also took it on Twitter to convey the message of her national costume. "Nothing screams national costume like the first Miss USA transformer. Embracing powerful women in a [photo]," Brady tweeted right after the event.

Disappointing for a Contender?

Fresh from bagging the title as the Ice Princess after his glam shot was picked as the best among the contestants, Miss Philippines Ariella Arida showed off the traditional 'terno' dress in the show [photo].

Arida, who is one of the frontrunners heading into the pageant night on Sunday, is expected to come up with a more imaginative costume following recent survey that pageant judges now wants more stylistic and bold dresses than the 'traditional and boring' national costumes worn almost every year.

Yet, Miss Philippines decided to be true to herself and pay homage to her home country by wearing the simple but elegant dress reportedly designed by Stella Araneta, the pageant Director and Organizer of Binibining Pilipinas. As usual, Arida's costume received mixed reviews from her followers on different social media platform, specifically on Twitter and Facebook. Here are some of comments and suggestion about Miss Philippines' Nat-Cos.

"BPCI as headed by Madame Stella Araneta can't get it, although we know that Nat-Cos competition does not have any bearing in the final outcome of the contest, but her group are missing the whole point. A national costume is a form of national pride, it symbolizes the country's rich history, cultural background, its colorful past and its aspirations. More than anything else it symbolizes our ingenuity and creativity as people," said Raynold Tiu on Facebook.

"Its ok.. ms. Philippines is just following the rules of the exposure.. she wore our national costume not like other countries they wore cossplay attire and fantasy costumes... good job Philippines," said one of Facebook followers of Ms. Universe page.

The 2013 Miss Universe coronation night is on November 10, 2013 at Crocus City Hall in Moscow, Russia.

Miss USA Erin Brady at Bennie Dover Middle School

Miss USA, Erin Brady, on "Better Connecticut"

Miss USA Erin Brady returns home to Portland High School

(source: The Middletown Press)

by Jeff Mill

PORTLAND >> Erin Brady arrived back at Portland High School on Tuesday to excited cheers and quiet tears. The newly crowned Miss USA, Brady alternately excited campers at the Summer Quest program and thrilled school faculty members who said they knew Brady was destined for great things when she was a student at the school.

All in all, her return to her roots day was a whirlwind of color, excitement and no little emotion.

Through it all, the willowy brunette was the master of the moment, whether it was signing autographs for a seemingly inexhaustible conga line of excited campers, posing for photos with star-struck selectmen, participating in rousing camp cheers, or pitching in to serve ice cream sundaes.

In comments welcoming Brady, state Sen. Art Linares and state Rep. Christie Carpino neatly captured two of the many roles the 25-year-old Brady embodies.

“You’re a true inspiration, especially to young women,” Carpino said. “You showed that you could be both beautiful and smart.”

Brady graduated from Portland High as a member of the National Honor Society and then went on to earn a degree in finance from Central Connecticut State University.

For his part, Linares told Brady, “You are such a wonderful role model.”

Linares then electrified a number of the females campers who gathered in the school cafeteria to greet Brady when he said, “Maybe one of you young ladies will be the next Miss USA.”

When it came her turn to speak, Brady admitted, “I’m a little bit excited — and a little bit nervous.”

(read more)

Erin Brady, MISS USA 2013, featured on the cover of Pageantry Magazine

Erin Brady, MISS USA 2013, featured on the Fall 2013 cover of Pageantry Magazine.

Miss USA 2013's First Photo Shoot

Erin has her first photo shoot as Miss USA with fashion photographer Fadil Berisha.

Miss USA’s Three Top Tips for Saving Money

By Lawrence Lewitinn | Talking Numbers 

Until last week, Erin Brady was a Financial Accountant for Prudential Retirement in Hartford, CT. Now, she’s Miss USA 2013 and talking numbers with Talking Numbers.

While Erin’s new schedule means she won’t be able to go back to work any time soon, she knows a lot about personal finance. So, we asked this aspiring MBA to tell us her three top tips for saving money.

Miss USA’s Three Top Tips for Saving Money:

Tip #1: Always pay yourself.

Erin says: “My dad always told me from Day 1 that no matter how many bills I have, every time I get paid, always put something away. Whether $20 or $100 every week, make sure you pay yourself first because you never know when you’re going to be in a predicament where you’re going to need money. I’ve always learned that no matter how much in bills I have, I put money away for myself.”

Tip #2: Start saving ASAP.

Erin says: “Open up a Roth IRA or some kind of a retirement plan ASAP. As soon as I got out of high school, I opened up a Roth IRA. I think a lot of kids my age are not educated on it. They don’t realize the importance of saving now because you’re going to be working forever. Who knows when Social Security’s going to run out? You’re going to make sure to be secure when you retire. Definitely start putting away now for retirement.”

Tip #3: Pay your debts first.

Erin says: “Obviously, like everyone else my age, I have student loans. I think it’s really important that any extra money you have to put towards your debts because [paying the minimum due] is like pouring water in a bucket with a hole in the bottom – you’re never going to pay it off. You’re always going to have something due to somebody else and you’re paying interest. Try to pay everything off as early as you can before you’re just paying interest to everybody else. Make sure you pay off your debts – credit cards, school loans, car loans – you don’t want to be in the hole forever!”