Jara Courson crowned Miss Florida Teen USA 2015

2015 MISS ILLINOIS TEEN USA CROWNING

On September 1, 2014, at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, Illinois, Megan Riesner was crowned MISS ILLINOIS TEEN USA 2015. The pageant is produced and conducted by Vanbros and Associates Inc. by license with Miss Universe LP, LLLP.

What A Weekend!

WOW! What a weekend! Thrilled to congratulate the following PAGEANT DESIGN clients: Rachel Barcellona, winner, Miss Florida Collegiate 2015; Dominique Collins, 3rd RU @ MISS WV USA 2015; Charlotte Trattner, Miss Amity winner @ MISS FL TEEN USA 2015; Carolyn Munson, Charlotte Trattner, Tiffany Rivera, Daniela Albrecht and Katharine Mahaffey, Top 16 semi-finalists @ MISS FL TEEN USA 2015; Grace Smith, 4RU; Taylor Pearce, 3RU; Brooke Garrison, 2RU; and Jara Courson, our new Miss Florida Teen USA 2015! (and Miss Photogenic winner!) Beyond excited to have been a tiny part in all of these young ladies' journeys. #PageantDesign #PageantAds

We offer graphic design solutions for all your pageantry needs! Pageant Ads | Pageant Program Books | Websites | Flyers & Promo Items + more! | For samples, check out:http://www.pageantdesignsolutions.com/ and like us on facebook:https://www.facebook.com/pageantdesign • ALL STATES, ALL AGES, ALL PAGEANTS SYSTEMS WELCOME!

MISS NW FL 2015 Program Book Content Pages

The 2015 MISS NW FL competition is almost here, so we can finally reveal the program book cover and content pages! "Sunset On The Serengeti" was the theme this year, and we had tons of fun with it!

 

#PageantDesign #PageantAds | PAGEANT ADS / PROGRAM BOOKS / COACH, DIRECTOR & DELEGATE WEBSITES / FLYERS + much more! | For samples, check out: http://www.pageantdesignsolutions.com/ and like us on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pageantdesign • ALL STATES, ALL AGES, ALL PAGEANTS SYSTEMS WELCOME!

Julia Dalton is Miss North Carolina USA 2015

Source: Miss Universe

She is the sister of Miss USA 2009 Kristen Dalton and she won the crown of Miss North Carolina USA 2015! Julia Dalton will represent her state at Miss USA 2015 next summer, the winner will represent the USA in the Miss Universe 2015 competition. Congratulations to her! She was previously Miss North Carolina Teen USA 2008 (2nd runner-up at Miss Teen USA) and 3rd runner-up Miss NC Teen USA 2007. By the way, Julia’s mother was Miss North Carolina USA 1982. Dalton is of English and German ancestry.

Julia’s sister, Kristen Dalton represented North Carolina in the Miss USA 2009 pageant broadcast live from Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, Nevada where she became the 2nd Miss North Carolina USA to win the Miss USA title; the state’s only prior winner was Chelsea Cooley, Miss USA 2005.

MISS NW FL 2015 Program Book Cover

The 2015 MISS NW FL competition is almost here, and the program books are now home, so we can finally reveal the cover for all of you! "Sunset On The Serengeti" was the theme this year, and we had tons of fun with it! (photo by the amazing J'Lyndee J. Photography)

A big THANK YOU once again to all the delegates (and parents!) who chose PAGEANT DESIGN for their program book ads! We appreciate each and every one of you!#PageantDesign #PageantAds | 

Graphic design solutions for all your pageantry needs! | PAGEANT ADS / PROGRAM BOOKS / COACH, DIRECTOR & DELEGATE WEBSITES / FLYERS + much more! | For samples, check out: http://www.pageantdesignsolutions.com/ and like us on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pageantdesign • ALL STATES, ALL AGES, ALL PAGEANTS SYSTEMS WELCOME!

Lees Daryanne Garcia Crowned Miss Grand International 2014

Lees Daryanne Garcia, Miss Grand Cuba 2014, was crowned Miss Grand International 2014 at the conclusion of the international pageant held on October 7th, 2014 at the Indoor Stadium Huamark in Sukhothai, Thailand.

Lees Garcia is a Cuban-American beauty. She is the former Miss New York U.S. International, Miss Florida U.S. International, Miss Florida American Beauty and Miss Grand Florida.

The first runner-up was Miss Grand Ethiopia Hiwot Mamo;

The second runner-up was Miss Grand Canada Kathryn Kohut;The third runner-up was Miss Grand Australia Renera Thompson;The fourth runner-up was Miss Grand Colombia Monica Castaño Agudelo.Miss Grand Colombia Monica Castaño AgudeloMiss Grand Cuba Lees Daryanne GarciaMiss Grand Ethiopia Hiwot MamoMiss Grand Australia Renera ThompsonMiss Grand Canada Kathryn Kohut

Miss USA Nia Sanchez Is Engaged

BY KELLI BENDER

This is a winning year for Nia Sanchez. The 24-year-old was crowned Miss USA in June and now, she is newly engaged. On Saturday night, 21 & Overactor Daniel Booko, 30, proposed to Sanchez on a private terrace in New York City, Rumor Fi reports.

The couple first met a year and a half ago at an engagement party but didn't start dating until three months later, when Booko saw Sanchez again at church.Booko told Rumor Fix that from the first moment he met his now fiancée, he thought she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.
For the proposal, Booko secretly flew out to New York City, where Sanchez is currently living, and rented out the Suite Royale at the NoMad Hotel, which comes complete with a 700-square-foot terrace. The actor decorated this outdoor space with flowers and candles before inviting Sanchez over for the big surprise."She's thinking she's going to an event with friends … [and] I will be there looking all dapper in a suit decorated with candles and flowers and the whole thing and have her come over – just her and I to have an intimate moment – then get down on one knee and propose, then pop champagne and celebrate," he said.

Booko proposed to Sanchez, who happily said "yes," with a platinum, two-carat diamond ring. Booko also had a red, white and blue stone added inside the band to commemorate Sanchez's Miss USA title.

The 63rd Annual MISS UNIVERSE® Pageant To Be Held In Doral-Miami At Florida International University January 25 (8-11 P.M. ET) On NBC

SOURCE The Miss Universe Organization

NEW YORK, Oct. 2, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- NBC, Donald J. Trump and Paula M. Shugart, president of the Miss Universe Organization, announced today that the 63rd annual MISS UNIVERSE® Pageant will take place in Doral-Miami, Florida and air live from Florida International University on NBC, Sunday, Jan. 25 (8-11 p.m. ET) with simulcast in Spanish on Telemundo. "The City of Doral is experiencing a record amount of economic growth and has gained attention from Fortune 100 companies in the short time since its incorporation in 2003," says Trump. "In its 11 years of being an established city,Doral has become internationally recognized for its outstanding commercial and industrial accomplishments," adds Trump. "Doral is a symbol of success and holding the Miss Universe Pageant here will amplify its reputation as a world showcase city."

"Even as one of the newest cities in Miami, Doral is a premier place to live, work, and play due to its beautiful lifestyle and entrepreneurial opportunities," says Shugart. "Since the Greater Miami area is a melting pot of people from all over the world, our contestants will feel right at home as they showcase what the area has to offer," adds Shugart. "I cannot think of a better backdrop in January than sunny Miami for our global telecast." "The Miss Universe Pageant offers an unprecedented opportunity to showcase the city to millions of viewers, as well as expose our local shops, hotels, restaurants, and attractions to thousands of visitors," says Mayor Luigi Boria. "Our local economy will be greatly benefited by our partnership with the pageant," adds Boria. "Our international presence will be improved further by joining the list of select cities that have hosted this prestigious competition."

In its short existence, the City of Doral has become a mecca for business development and expansion. Exceeding national trends, Doral has a flourishing economy and has gained status as the premier place for trade and commerce. In just five years after its inception, Doral was named one of the "100 Best Cities to Live and Launch a Business" byCNNMoney.com, coming in at number two in the State of Florida. The city's geographical location, with proximity to the airport, seaport and major transit arteries, provides Doral with unique advantages for growth. The government climate of the multi-cultural, multi-lingual population from South and Central America gives Doral a cosmopolitan, eclectic ambiance that entices shoppers, businesses and industries from around the world. The pageant will be broadcast from the FIU Arena on the campus of Florida International University. FIU is the public research university in Miami and graduates more Hispanic students than any other university in the nation.

"Our students will gain valuable insight from this opportunity to intern with, and learn from, this world class event," said FIU president, Mark B. Rosenberg. "I'm delighted that having the pageant on campus will also make it possible for our first generation students to receive scholarships and young people all over the world to be exposed to FIU." Florida International University is recognized as a Carnegie engaged university. It is a public research university with colleges and schools that offers more than 180 bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs in fields such as engineering, international relations, architecture, law and medicine. As one of South Florida's anchor institutions, FIU contributes $9.8 billion each year to the local economy. FIU is Worlds Ahead in finding solutions to the most challenging problems of our time. FIU emphasizes research as a major component of its mission.
Since 1960, the Miss Universe Organization and Miami have had a longstanding relationship, with the MISS UNIVERSE Pageant being held in the Greater Miami area 15 times, more than any other host city in the world. The MISS UNIVERSE beauty pageant is distributed to approximately 190 countries and territories. Contestants from around the world will be judged in three categories: swimsuit, evening gown and interview, as they vie to become the next Miss Universe. Gabriela Isler from Venezuela will crown her successor at the conclusion of the live telecast.

Miss America damage control: Pageant beset by hazing, scholarship reports

By Amy Kuperinsky | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

It’s safe to say this wasn’t the best week for Miss America — the pageant or the person.

“I must’ve aged 10 years over the past 24 hours,”Kira Kazantsev wrote in her blog on Tuesday night. On Monday, not long after becoming the third consecutive Miss New York to win the crown, Kazantsev, 23, also became the subject ofa story from the website Jezebel. An unnamed person had accused her of promotinghazing at Hofstra University’s Alpha Phi sorority. “Over the past 24 hours, I have experienced cyber-bullying, hatred, and judgment unlike ever before,” Kazantsev continued. “People write you off at a moment’s notice, simply rejoicing in the fact that you might’ve done something wrong.” Writing off Miss America — the pageant — may seem easy, given the last few days. Just before the hazing story came to light, John Oliver, HBO’s late-night news satirist, skewered the Linwood-based Miss America Organization for vastly overstating its scholarship contributions.

The “Last Week Tonight” host said show staff found no evidence the scholarships awarded to contestants amounted to any number near the $45 million claimed. And people were paying attention. The Chicago Tribune reported that in just two days, Oliver's suggestion for viewers to donate to other scholarship programs resulted in an influx of $25,000 to the city's Society of Women Engineers.
For a pageant that already suffered from an image problem – the swimsuit competition hasn’t exactly helped — Oliver’s debunking session and the hazing allegations against Kazantsev seemed to indicate a swift downward spiral.

The questions many observers are asking now: Can Miss America recover from yet another set of PR blows? And how will all of this impact the pageant's current home, Atlantic City, which is facing its own share of public relations and financial crises?

Scholarships and ‘solvency’
The hazing allegations forced Miss America to regroup, but the scholarship story appeared to be more damning. After all, the organization trumpets that it is the largest provider of scholarships for women. “That’s why those women, many of them, enter the pageant,” says Karen Kessler, a crisis communications expert at Evergreen Partners in Warren, who has represented the Giants, Jets and more than a few politicians, also serving as a technical adviser to TV series "The Good Wife" and "Nashville."

Addressing the pageant-faithful on stage at Boardwalk Hall this month, Sam Haskell, CEO of the Miss America Organization, said the cash-strapped pageant once used would-be scholarship money to cover office expenses. Back on network TV and returned to Atlantic City, he said, the pageant had regained both “relevance” and “solvency.” Yet when it comes to money, the pageant and its contestants aren’t the only stakeholders. “There’s the people of New Jersey,” says Kessler. The competition arrived in Atlantic City just as neighboring Trump Plaza was preparing to close, becoming the fourth casino to shut down this year. The state, through the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, has put millions of dollars toward underwriting the pageant’s production costs.

After the Sept. 14 broadcast, pageant officials beamed about Miss America’s No. 1 spot in the Nielsen Twitter TV Ratings. But TV ratings declined. Last year the broadcast drew 8.6 million viewers. This year: 7.1 million. Though Miss America’s contract with the CRDA and Boardwalk Hall is up after next year’s show, Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno and Atlantic City officials have expressed support for the pageant remaining there. Miss America began in the fall of 1921 as a strategy to lure business back to the beach. Does the flailing casino town now have a choice in the matter? As casinos falter, Atlantic City’s current mantra is to boost “non-gaming” activity. “New Jersey and Atlantic City once again look like they got a very short end of the stick,” Kessler says. “If it’s all about nostalgia, the question is, at what price?”

Mixed messages
If Miss America’s modern-day goal is to “empower women,” a story associating the titleholder with poor treatment of women provides an easy way to torpedo the mission. Appearing on “Good Morning America” after the Jezebel story broke, Kazantsev, whose pageant platform advances domestic violence awareness, denied hazing was the reason why she was asked to leave the sorority last year, saying the cause was an email in which she joked about the practice. But she admitted to participating in a larger campus culture of hazing.

“What can be more damaging?” Kessler says. “It is the essence of sort of everything that they say they don’t stand for.” Kazantsev said the hardest question she had to answer on the morning show was about what she would say to young girls regarding her behavior at the sorority. "I'd tell them it's OK to make mistakes," she said. "You know, that's life." Yet as host Lara Spencer delivered the query to the smooth-talking spokeswoman, for just a beat, the pageant queen’s eyes looked distant.While the Miss America Organization issued a statement praising Kazantsev’s “transparency” about her termination from the sorority, it is still unclear when pageant officials learned about her history with Alpha Phi. One of the requirements for contestants is that they fulfill “character criteria.” Kazantsev rejects any notion that she promoted verbal or physical abuse.

There is (so far) no video of her participating in any hazing activities. Unlike Vanessa Williams’ nude photos — plans for their publication in Penthouse magazine prompted her Miss America resignation in 1984 — there is no visual evidence of a violation. “I don’t think that this is grounds for dethroning,” says sociologist and pageant-watcher Hilary Levey Friedman, a former judge of the Miss New Jersey pageant. Her mother, Pamela Eldred, was Miss America 1970. Though advancing the stereotype of sorority “mean girls” isn’t the stated aim of Miss America, the ritual has produced a kind of sorority identity, she says.  “The Miss America pageant has a history with the sorority program in the U.S.,” says Levey Friedman. “That’s why it’s called a sisterhood.” The names used to describe preliminary competition groupings — Mu, Alpha and Sigma — come from Mu-Alpha-Sigma, a Miss America sorority organized in 1940.

Even as the hazing allegations may damage Kazantsev’s credibility as a national spokeswoman, Levey Friedman doesn’t think they will destroy her year. “There was a time when Miss America was held up as this totally perfect ideal,” she says. “What Miss America’s trying to do is say, we’re relatable, we all make mistakes.”

Miss Michigan USA crowned

by Bob Gross

Rashontae Wawrzyniak, representing St. Clair Lake, was crowned Miss Michigan USA 2015 on Saturday at McMorran Theater in Port Huron. Maria Rendina, of Monroe, is the new Miss Michigan Teen USA. The pageant featured 83 young women competing for the title of Miss Michigan USA; 44 teens competed for Miss Michigan Teen USA.

Wawrzyniak, who was first runner-up in last year's pageant, also was selected most photogenic.
Miss Port Huron USA Kayla Sesi was selected Miss Congeniality by the pageant contestants.
And the competitors brought their cheering sections with them. Lilly Santiago, of Dearborn Heights, was there to watch her daughter, Taylor Sherman. Santiago had about 20 people with her — children and grandchildren. She said Sherman was Miss Michigan Teen USA in 2011. "If the double whammy happens, call the EMS," she said.

The experience, Santiago said, wasn't new. "I love pageants," she said. "She's been doing them since she was six." It was a new experience for Katrina and Kyle Fellenbaum, of Fenton. Their daughter, Faith Weier, 20, was competing as Miss Fenton. "She has never done this before; this is her very first time," her mom said. "I think it's great," she said. "Very energetic and everybody looks great.
"It's gone very well. I'm very happy." She said her daughter plays basketball at Alma College, so a pageant is something different. "This is one of the greatest moments of her life," she said. "She's learned a lot about herself. This has been a very good thing for her."

Marci Fogal, president of the Blue Water Convention and Visitors Bureau, said such events are good for Port Huron. "Look around," she said in a crowded theater lobby. "It's a good opportunity to showcase our community. "It drives our economy — these people have been out in our restaurants, shopping, having a good time." She said she's heard many positive comments about Port Huron from people visiting for the pageant.

"It's nice to hear that," she said. "It's just a great opportunity." Pam Keller and her daughters, Addison and Pamela, had signs supporting her daughter and their sister, Kaci Keller. She was representing Decatur in the Miss Teen Michigan USA competition. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience for her," Pam Keller said. "She just turned 18 in July." The signs read "Good Luck Kaci" and "We Love Kaci." Addison Keller said they would have made more signs, but "we ran out of duct tape."

THE RESULTS

MISS MICHIGAN USA 2015

• Winner: Rashontae Wawrzyniak, Miss St. Clair Lake USA

• First runner-up: Sarah Gerberding, Miss Boyne City USA

• Second runner-up: Elizabeth Johnson, Miss Plymouth USA

• Third runner-up: April Strong, Miss Swartz Creek USA

• Fourth runner-up: Laura Esqueda, Miss Northville USA

MISS MICHIGAN TEEN USA 2015

• Winner: Maria Rendina, Miss Monroe Teen USA

• First runner-up: Maria Smith, Miss Shelby Township Teen USA

• Second runner-up: Ujaneé Wells, Miss Lake State Teen USA

• Third runner-up: Stephanie Staurov, Miss Chesterfield Township Teen USA

• Fourth runner-up: Amanda St. Germain, Miss Marquette USA

Homecoming queen gives crown to bullied friend

By Ben Russell

A homecoming queen in Texas is a real class act, giving up her crown to a friend who was pranked by classmates. Lillian Skinner, 17, was beyond excited to learn she had been nominated for homecoming queen at Grand Prairie High School, but was devastated to learn it was nothing more than a cruel prank cooked up by classmates. Two friends, Anahi Alvarez and Naomi Martinez, came up with a way to make sure Skinner got her chance to shine.

The girls agreed to pass on the crown to Skinner should either of them win. When Alvarez was named queen, she called Skinner over and told her the crown was hers. Skinner was in disbelief.
"Seeing the look on her face and the way she reacted toward it, it was priceless," Martinez told Dallas TV station KXAS. "I knew it was the right decision."

Alvarez agreed, and said she'd do it all again in a heartbeat. "Well, for me, I want to say, and I always say, 'Lilly won. I just ran in her place, in her position,'" Alvarez said. "When they ask me, 'Were you homecoming queen?' I say, 'No, Lilly is homecoming queen.'"

How Kira Kazantsev went from Cronut blogger to Miss America

By Kirsten Fleming and Dana Schuster

Kira Kazantsev, the newly crowned Miss America 2015, has always been an overachiever.
The 23-year-old speaks three languages (Russian, Spanish and English), was a triple major at Hofstra University (political science, global studies and geography), was accepted to Notre Dame Law School and even worked the princess circuit in high school, according to Kazantsev’s cheerleading adviser, Laurel Londahl. “One year she came to my daughter’s third birthday party dressed up in her Miss Junior Teen California pageant gown and crown and read them stories and gave them princess goodies,” says Londahl, who still works at Kazantsev’s alma mater, Las Lomas High School in Walnut Creek, California.

Kazantsev, who moved to New York in 2009 for college, is the third consecutive New Yorker to snag the Miss America title. It’s a huge achievement for the Big Apple — and the Murray Hill resident. But friends and family say they expected no less from the personable pageant queen who begged her high school principal to let her captain the cheerleading team while simultaneously serving as student body president. “I told her, ‘You can’t do both . . . it’s just too much work. You can’t do it,’” recalls Kazantsev’s former principal, Pat Lickiss. “She said, ‘Mr. Lickiss, I can do it.’ There’s nothing that girl couldn’t do.” “She’s the hardest-working girl I know,” agrees Londahl. “We marched in the local parade every year, and Kira was there as Miss Junior Teen California, and she had to jump out of the car she was in, change into her cheerleading outfit and then march with the cheerleaders. She was incredibly dedicated to her team.”

So who is the aspiring attorney with the sparkly crown? The daughter of Russian immigrants, Kazantsev — who has a 15-year-old brother, Boris — was raised by her surgical oncologist father, George, and real-estate broker mother, Julia, in Northern California. “They’ve always said, ‘If you can, do more.’ Pushing yourself isn’t a bad thing as long as it’s in moderation,” Kazantsev tells The Post. When it came time to choose a college, Kazantsev says, she always dreamed of going to school in New York, and settled on Long Island’s Hofstra because they gave her a scholarship that covered 50 percent of her tuition. Her tenacious work ethic continued throughout her four years on campus. She enrolled in the school’s honors college after her first semester (getting an invite to the prestigious program requires a 3.6 GPA or higher, according to the honors college dean, Warren Frisina) and studied in Barcelona her junior year.

“I don’t think anyone knew she had ambitions in that [pageant] direction. She seemed pretty darn focused on her schoolwork and succeeding academically,” Frisina says. She has deferred her acceptance to Notre Dame law school, but eventually hopes to earn a law degree and her MBA at the prestigious Indiana school. The brainy beauty, who sang Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” in Hofstra’s 2010 talent show, was one of the 300 volunteers chosen from more than a thousand hopefuls to rub elbows with the political muckety-mucks during the 2012 presidential debate hosted by Hofstra. For two summers, she interned at Solidarity Strategies, a political consulting firm in Washington, DC. According to the company’s founder, Chuck Rocha, Kazantsev says the tenure helped her nail the 2013 Miss New York pageant. “She said that she wouldn’t have understood the question [about campaign finance reform] if she hadn’t worked for me,” says Rocha, who recently had lunch with Kazantsev in NYC. “It made my chest swell with pride.” According to Rocha, the new Miss America has the perfect combination of drive and personal skills. “And then you throw in the fact that she is drop-dead gorgeous and really smart,” laughs Rocha, who says Kazantsev looked up to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. She volunteered for Gillibrand’s re-election campaign in 2011.

Asked if she wants to run for political office, Kazantsev says she wants to pursue international business and influence policy for women’s issues across the globe. “I love politics and the environment that goes with it . . . but for now, [elected office] is not necessarily my dream.” After graduating from Hofstra, she moved to Murray Hill with her best friend and began waiting tables at Hillstone and, later, hosting at Harding’s in the Flatiron District while studying for the LSATs. “You gotta do what you gotta do to make it. Miss New York is a full-time job, but you don’t make money. It’s a labor of love,” says Kazantsev, who is savoring all that the Big Apple has to offer, including dining at Mario Batali’s hot spots Eataly and Esca. Kazantsev also dabbled with a food blog called “Confessions of a Fat Soul,” where the pizza- and bagel-loving city gal braved the Cronut line and explored NYC’s culinary terrain all in the name of hunger. (The now-defunct blog’s tag line reads: “Bringing recipes and restaurant reviews to my fellow fat souls. Dedicated to making the fat souls out there even fatter.”) “Blue Water Grill is one of my favorite restaurants. I love going to the Brooklyn Flea and Chelsea Market. My friends and I go to Central Park and lay out and we try to live the New York life on a budget,” she says, adding that she likes to “window shop.”

“My personal style for New York isn’t edgy, but for the rest of the world, I think it is. Sometimes people in the pageant world question my choices. “I love shoulder pads, prints and things that are a little out there. I like to color outside of the line and wear what I want to wear,” she says. According to Kerime Ataker, president of John Paul Ataker, the designer who crafted Kazantsev’s stunning custom rose-colored gown she wore at Sunday’s event, “She’s definitely a risk-taker,” gravitating away from typical pageant garb. When she isn’t eating (and staying remarkably thin, thanks to her penchant for running, according to Rocha), Kazantsev is putting in countless hours advocating against domestic violence, a cause close to her heart after an ex-boyfriend stalked her in college. In August, she joined the junior leadership counsel of Safe Horizon, an NYC-based victim assistance agency she has volunteered with in the past. “She identifies with the people who are impacted by it,” says Eddie Pelto, Safe Horizon’s chief development officer, who adds that Kazantsev’s “been a strong voice for domestic violence survivors through social media.”

“I want as many people as possible to understand what domestic violence is,” says Kazantsev. “To talk about it. To not be scared to talk about it. You can pass laws and make rules but you won’t affect real change until people’s minds are changed.”Modal Trigger Concerning the Ray Rice scandal, she thinks that maybe, one day, the football player will deserve a second chance. “There’s an extraordinary moment for Ray Rice to step back and understand what happened and take this media attention and turn it into a way to raise awareness. This has been done and no one should be questioning his wife’s decision to stay, because every woman is an expert in her own life.” Right now, Miss America has a good mister by her side. “He’s a very calm guy. He’s a Marine,” says Ataker, who says Kazantsev brought her beau to dress fittings.

“Such a nice guy. He didn’t talk much. All he did was smile and say, ‘Looks great,’ and that was it.” When asked about her dating status, Kazantsev politely says she would rather not discuss it. But if you were a potential suitor, she says she’s low-maintenance, preferring to stay in and binge-watch “Orange Is the New Black” or “House of Cards.” “I am so easy to please,” she says. “Just give me a slice of pizza and a bagel and I am a happy person. I am a simple person who happens to be involved in some crazy stuff.” For now, Kazantsev says, she is going to celebrate her shiny new tiara in her trademark low-key way. “I am going to have a very nice sleep. I don’t know when I will have another opportunity to do that.”

"THE REALITY OF MISS AMERICA" by Miss America 2015 Kira Kazantsev

by Miss America 2015 Kira Kazantsev

It’s been a little over a week since I was crowned Miss America, and what a whirlwind it has been! I’ve already taken two cross-country flights, participated in countless media interviews, and had the opportunity to attend the Clinton Global Initiative’s Annual Meeting where I met some very influential people who are doing incredible things around the globe. It is such an honor to be Miss America 2015 — and to represent the amazing 52 women who I had the privilege of getting to know over 2 weeks in Atlantic City. They epitomize everything that Miss America is about and being chosen from among them is my greatest honor.

I’m launching this personal blog to share my year with you because I feel it’s important for people to know what it’s really like to be Miss America. It’s not just one night a year on television — it’s a 365/24/7 job. In addition to all the amazing opportunities that come with the title, it also is a year of personal growth — and challenges. This first week of being in the public eye is not something you can ever prepare for. The positives have far outweighed any of the negativity and craziness that comes with being in a high profile position, particularly on social media. But I’m learning as I go, and I hope to do my best to represent the organization and the title to the best of my abilities.
On that note, I’d like to address one specific issue that has popped up in the media. Because what type of role model would I be if I told people, young women especially, that you can’t make mistakes? That’s not real life. When I entered the sorority recruitment process at Hofstra University in Spring 2010, I decided to join a sorority for the social life but I also thought that I was joining a legacy of success and philanthropy. My friends were joining, and for fear of being left out, I joined too. To be completely honest, I didn’t know what I was signing up for.

The worst of the so-called hazing was standing in a line reciting information, a few sleepless nights, and crafting. I was yelled at a few times. That year, the sorority got in trouble for those actions and was disciplined by both Hofstra and the national organization. However, after being brought up through that process, my class thought the only way to gain respect in the sorority was to go through it or be seen as weak. Later on, I had the opportunity to be the New Member Educator for a semester. It was a very rewarding experience as you get to connect with the recruits on a very deep level. However, I did oversee some pledging events as part of my job description, similar to those described above. Furthermore, my termination from Alpha Phi surrounded entirely different circumstances and I would like to use this opportunity to further explain. When I was a senior, as one of the older sisters in the sorority, I was asked by a new member educator at the time to send an email to alumni asking them to attend an event. In the email, I joked that we could make the evening scary for the pledges. That statement was a joke – we never intended to actually engage in the wrongful behavior that I have been accused of – and the alumni event I spoke of never came to fruition anyway. But this is when I learned a very important communications lesson that will stick with me for life.

The email was forwarded by someone to the national organization. Based on that information, the national office summoned me for a judiciary hearing. At the time, it was the end of the school year. Finals, graduation, and moving to New York City were at the forefront of my concerns. Based on the fact that I did not attend this hearing that was the official reason given for my termination.
I was never involved with any name-calling or use of profanity toward a girl during my time with the sorority. I was never involved in any physical hazing or any degradation of physical appearance of any kind. This has all been immensely taken out of context and manipulated purposefully because I am now in a public position.

The nameless source that is saying these things is doing exactly what it is that I was wrongfully accused of. Now that I’m 2 years removed from that experience at the sorority, I’ve learned what healthy relationships are, and can better speak to what young girls entering college should avoid and it has further developed my platform, “Love Shouldn’t Hurt: Protecting Women Against Domestic Violence.” I’m also proud to say that Alpha Phi Theta Mu of Hofstra University is an upstanding organization that has completely abandoned these practices and I’m incredibly proud of the work they do as an organization. I understand that it can sometimes be hard for women to help other women. It’s so sad but I see it happening over and over. The Miss America sisterhood has taught me what true sisterhood is. It is a group of women that has elevated itself from that pettiness and is able to be happy for one another instead of trying to tear each other down.

I was one of those girls who fell victim not only to the abuse of an intimate partner but the abuse of people who I thought were my friends. In response, I imposed that attitude unto others because I thought it was right. Today, I am proud to say — as I have said before — that I have lived a lot of life in my 23 years. I have made mistakes, and I have made magnificent triumphs, most importantly the one that happened to me on September 14 in Atlantic City. I look forward to sharing my year of service with you and continuing to engage in a dialogue about trading adversity for success. I want to be someone who people look up to as Miss America, and I also want women to understand that despite anything that has happened in your past or the mistakes that may have been made, you have the power to control the outcome of your future.

PAGEANT DESIGN PORTFOLIO SPOTLIGHT: 2015 Miss Northwest FL Pageant Program Book