Miss Utah & Wolverine Christina Lowe competed against 53 other women in the 2011 Miss America Pageant. Now she is ready to come back and hit the books.
UVU student and current Miss Utah, Christina Lowe, gained national recognition and glory as she competed in the national Miss America pageant on Saturday, Jan. 15.
The Miss America pageant, which considers itself a scholarship program, is celebrating its 90th anniversary, and is a competition for women from all 50 states, including representatives from D.C., Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
Though these types of pageants typically are stereotyped as mere beauty contests, contestants must participate in a number of competitions, including having a personal interview, performing an on-stage talent and answering topical current event questions.
The Miss America Scholarship program is the largest contributor of scholarships for women in the United States, with the winner of the pageant winning $50,000 towards money for college. Every contestant in the pageant gets some scholarship money for participating, and this money can only be used for school, either to pay off school loans or help women continue their education with graduate or professional school.
Lowe, who is a junior studying international relations, was crowned Miss Utah in June 2010, which automatically qualified her for the Miss America pageant. She represented Utah and UVU very well at the national competition, being selected as part of the top 11 judges’ choice. She made it to the top 15 overall, beating out 38 other contestants all over the country. The overall winner of Miss America 2011 is Miss Nebraska Teresa Scanlan, who, at 17, is the youngest Miss America since 1937.
Christina wrote in her blog that being at Miss America was “very surreal. … It was one of the most amazing experiences.” She continued by thanking friends and family and everyone at UVU for their continual support and kindness.
This spring, Lowe plans on taking some classes here while finishing her reign as Miss Utah until June, when a new woman will gain the title.
