Will Miss Arizona Be the Next Miss America?

Miss Arizona 2000 Kristen Vatt Will Compete

Who is Miss Arizona?

      Her days are filled with dance rehearsals, reading current events, practicing interview skills, exercising and community service. Her name is Kristen Vatt and she has competed in pageants for four years, having participated in the Miss Arizona Teen USA pageant, Miss Arizona USA, and Miss Arizona America. She has held the titles of Miss Mesa Teen USA, Miss Mesa USA, Miss Copper Valley 1999, Miss Gilbert 2000 and Miss Arizona 2000. With the support and assistance of Steve and Monica Rich (Miss Arizona Scholarship Organization), her parents Gregory and Cynthia, her brothers Jeff and Michael and her dance teacher Dannis Zazueta, Kristen will be competing in Atlantic City for the title of Miss America.

      Kristen lives in Mesa, Arizona. She is 20 years old and is a student at Arizona State University majoring in Dance Performance. Kristen loves living in Arizona. "The people are great, the atmosphere is beautiful, and we have many professional sports teams--I am a huge football and baseball fan!" said Kristen during a recent interview. Of course, every city has its challenges, and Kristen would like to see improvement in our school system with more funding appropriated for teachers' salaries and extracurricular activities. This is consistent with the 'personal platform' that Kristen has adopted for her Miss America quest. She calls it "Mentors for the Millennium."  Kristen believes that "encouraging our children to be the best people they can be, and then helping them accomplish this goal is something everyone needs to 

do and can do! You don't have to be a counselor or a teacher and you don't have to help everyone. Just simply be a friend to children you know. Show them you care about them and that they are important even if that means taking five minutes and saying 'hi', talking to them, and really listening to them." 

      Kristen has put her words into action, having worked with United Way, the Mesa Partnership for Tobacco Free Youth, the Make-a-Wish Foundation, Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America and America's Promise, a national mentoring program supported by General Colin Powell. Kristen also speaks on Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention, which is the Miss Arizona state platform. According to Kristen, Arizona is one of the few states in the Miss America Organization to have a state platform and is the only state to have the Governor's Office provide support. Miss Arizona 2000 volunteers regularly at local domestic violence shelters and assists the Sunflower Foundation with fundraising for local shelters.
 

The Pageant

      The 80th Annual Miss America Pageant will be televised on the last day of the competition, October 14, 2000 at 8PM EST. It was first televised in 1954 when Lee Meriwether received the crown. The pageant was seen in color by television audiences beginning in 1966. Last year Heather French was named Miss America 2000. Throughout the history of the pageant it has been one of the highest rated annual events on television. 

The Judging

      Contestants are judged in the categories of talent, interview, on-stage personality in evening wear, and physical fitness in a swimsuit. There are two panels of judges. The preliminary panel has seven members and chooses the finalists. These people are familiar with Miss America programs. The second panel of judges is made up of celebrities and well-known personalities who pick the one person to be named Miss America from the ten finalists during the live telecast.

The Miss America Organization

      The organization began in 1921 and represents concepts of "national identity, community, and moral standards, as well as beauty, femininity, and the roles of women." The focus of the responsibilities has changed over time, from being a glamour girl to being a national spokesperson for worthy causes. Over the past 80 years, 71 women have worn the crown. Today, Miss America travels about 20,000 miles a month to support charitable and community projects nationwide. A detailed history by decade is described at the official Miss America website.

A Few More Words From Kristen Vatt!

      "To have the opportunity to be Miss America for a year would be a chance of a lifetime, and a year of hard work!" says Kristen. "I would be extremely excited to take my personal platform and the state platform throughout the nation as Miss America 2001, but if I don't receive that opportunity, I will focus my attention to informing our communities about these important issues during the rest of my year and even after I pass on the title of Miss Arizona 2000."

Kristen, Arizona is proud of you! 
Do your best, 
and have a wonderful time in Atlantic City!

©2000 Judy Hedding, licensed to About.com
  Kristen Vatt photo reprinted with her permission

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