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New Miss America: Aspiring Politician

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Good-bye Miss Nebraska, Hello Miss America!

Teresa Scanlan made history Saturday night in what was an evening full of firsts in the Miss America Pageant’s 90 years. At the age of 17, Scanlan is the youngest (since they enacted age limits in 1938) and the first from the Cornhusker state of Nebraska to win the crown. As Miss America 2011, Scanlan will travel approximately 20,000 miles each month as the National Goodwill Ambassador for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and to promote her platform of Eating Disorders: A Generation at Risk. She was inspired to take up the cause by a friend who is struggling with bulimia.

Scanlan, who turns 18 next month, is deferring her enrollment at Patrick Henry College in Virginia. But her aspirations to study law and become a politician are stronger than ever. As she told the Associated Press, Scanlan is going into politics so she can “stand up for what’s right, stand up for integrity and honesty.

“At this point, attorneys and politicians are looked down on and have terrible reputations for being greedy and power hungry and I really think it’s important for people who have their heart and mind in the right place get into those powerful positions,” she said.

The recent high school grad beat out 52 other young women for the ultimate prize at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, taking home a $50,000 scholarship sponsored by Artistry exclusively by Amway to continue her education.

First runner-up honors went to Miss Arkansas Alyse Eady whose talent performance was Vocal-Ventriloquism to “I want to be a Cowboy’s Sweetheart.” Eady earned a $25,000 scholarship while Miss Hawaii Jalee Fuselier was awarded $20,000 as second runner-up.

America had their say in another pageant first by voting online and via text message for their favorite contestants in the days leading up to the pageant. Miss New York Claire Buffie and Miss Delaware Kayla Martell won ABC’s America’s choice, both making headlines for the causes they represent. Buffie was the first contestant to ever run on a gay rights platform, and Martell hopes to raise awareness about alopecia areata, a disease that caused her to start losing her hair at the age of 13.

The Miss America Organization is the world’s largest provider of scholarship assistance for young women, making more than $45 million available last year alone. Want to see who won over the judges? Here’s Teresa Scanlan in her first press conference as Miss America 2011:

Check out the story in The Washington Post and watch her talk about her plans to run for President in 2028.

Miss America 2011 To Be Crowned On Saturday

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Caressa Cameron is crowned Miss America 2010. Photo courtesy MAO.

They’ve got smarts, talent, compassion, and a whole lot of gumption to be able to walk across the national stage in front of millions of viewers while balancing a tiara on their heads. But we expect nothing less from a future Miss America!

Over 12,000 young women made their way through local and state pageants this past year, and 53 three of them are about to face the final hurrah! This Saturday, the Miss America pageant returns to network television after five years on cable. This will be an historic night on ABC as 2011 marks the pageant’s 90th Anniversary.

For the first time in pageant history, Americans had a say in who they’d like to see in the finals by voting online and via text message. This week the contestants have been competing in preliminary contests and by Saturday evening, the field will have been narrowed to 15 finalists.

Broadcast from Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, the pageant has become a showcase for what can be achieved by promoting education and encouraging hard work. The Miss American Organization made more than $45 million in cash and scholarship assistance available to young women last year alone.

The Miss America Board of Directors is committed to preserving this tradition of scholastic achievement and added Regina Hopper, President and CEO of America’s Natural Gas Alliance and Miss Arkansas 1983, as its newest member in August to work for this cause.

But any Miss America is smart enough to know that it can’t be all about the books and that a sense of humor is an absolute necessity – especially being able to laugh at yourself. Here are a few takes from late night comedians, including ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers on Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update, and CBS’ David Letterman with the “Top 10 Signs You’re Not Going to Win The Miss America Pageant.”

So, tune in to ABC this Saturday at 9pm EST to see who is crowned Miss America 2011 – until then there is plenty of action going on at www.facebook.com/MissAmericaOrganization where you can watch the preliminary competitions which wrapped last night, as well as get other behind-the scenes scoops.

Cast Your Vote for the 90th Miss America

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Dear Miss America fans,

Democracy has come to the Miss America pageant.  You can join the thousands who have already voted by casting your vote for your favorite contestant as one of the finalists.  Each of the 53 contestants taped a short video telling you why they should be the next Miss America.  You can watch the videos and vote by going online to MissAmerica.org, on the Miss America Facebook page, YouTube Page, or by texting MAST (letters “ST” should be replaced by the state abbreviation you want to vote for) to 24470.

Voting ends at Midnight on January 13th.

Sam Haskell with the 2010 Miss America Judges after the Pageant in Las, Vegas

Sam Haskell, Miss America’s Chairman of the Board wrote a piece in the Huffington Post about his experience with Miss America and why you should watch the pageant that turns 90 this Saturday, January 15 on ABC.

A few highlights from Sam’s post below:

Before there was a television show to idolize singers or a program to see who thinks they can dance, there was Miss America: a showcase for talented young women. And before social networking meant interacting through a website, there was Miss America: a pageant that brought together women from every state to share their hopes for our great country. Over the last 90 years, Americans have been mesmerized by the magic of Miss America. I personally have been enchanted for more years than I dare put in writing, and it started way before I married a Miss Mississippi or became Chairman of the Board of the Miss America Organization.

The Miss America Organization is the largest women’s scholarship program, with up to $45 million in scholarships awarded each year. Even during these difficult economic times, we are not cutting back. I’ve watched lives change because of the scholarships from the pageant program.

Communities have been changed, too. This year, more than 13,000 young women made their way through the state and local pageants. Every contestant is required to actively promote a platform that serves her community. When crowned, Miss America supports our national service partner, the Children’s Miracle Network, which helps over 170 children’s hospitals around the United States.

The next Miss America is among the 53 young women currently in Las Vegas rehearsing for Saturday night’s pageant. She is smart and talented — she is America at its best. And now we can all be a part of history and vote for who we think should be in the top 15 finalists. Over 100,000 people have voted already on Facebook, YouTube and MissAmerica.org. I urge you to get to know these amazing young women and cast your own vote. Then tune in on January 15, 2011, on ABC to see if your favorite wins. I’ll be watching — after all, I’ve always loved a good show!

Also check out Sam introducing this year’s judges at the press conference held at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas: