~Moments with Miss America~
By Natalie
McGovern
Meeting Miss America for the first time was a treat, and not
just because I was one of the lucky titleholders to grace the stage she walked
on at the Natalie M. Fashion Show, the largest charity fashion show in the
nation. As a representative of the Miss
United States Organization I had the unique pleasure of being able to take a
professional photo with the famous beauty queen of all, alongside the prominent
designer Tony Bowls.
Meeting Kira was surreal, she was so amicable and beamed with
delight when she met me and my sister queens, shaking our hands warmly. Okay, excuse me while I relive my fangirl
moment. In short it could only be described as incredible.
Miss America in the Flesh
Wearing a blush pink Tony Bowls gown Kira was the epitome of
poise and elegance. Having the
opportunity afterward to hear her story of making it in New York as a first
generation American was inspiring. I had
read her blog prior to our meeting and before she won the Miss America crown
she had the opportunity to travel to Russia and connect to her roots. The impact that this title has had upon her
life is astounding as she is the third consecutive Miss New York to be Miss
America and learned how to make it when she barely had the support of her state
directors to help her gain sponsors.
For those naysayers who judged her looks the night she was
crowned, I have to say she is as lovely and photogenic in person as she is
charismatic in personality. Her hair and makeup perfection, the confidence she
displays for the world to see makes you want to be her. Kira’s personality is infectious, she gets on
your level and is so relatable. It is easy to see why she was chosen by the
judges to represent the American ideal. She is truly leading a legacy.
POST CROWN
I admire Kira for wanting to pursue her law degree after her
reign. She has the grit and
determination to make it and turn her dreams into reality. Her current plan
after Miss America is to go to law school. She was accepted at Notre Dame and
had to postpone when she won so she has plans to continue that direction.
TONY BOWLS
I also had an impromptu interview opportunity to catch a
glimpse into Tony Bowl’s esteemed life. He started in retail and was one day
offered $100,000 by the Miss America Organization to expand his business, and
from that day forth he has never looked back.
Now the official sponsor of Miss America, Tony Bowls has created custom gowns
for many famous Miss Americas such as Miss America 2008 Katie Stam, celebrities
such as Carrie Underwood, Miss USA titleholders and has dressed many pageant
winners. One thing is for certain, he has a heart for giving back and wants to
make a difference in the lives of others. There is an aura about Tony Bowls
that eminates such kindness and goodwill.
The Natalie M. Fashion Show is an annual charity fashion show
that showcases the work of pageant and prom designers each year, raising
philanthropic funds for education. For more information concerning the fashion
show, go to http://www.nataliemfoundation.com
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