School of Medicine student Stephanie Williams was crowned Miss District of Columbia 2010 Sunday. Williams will go on to represent D.C. in the 2011 Miss America Pageant.
“It feels amazing. I feel really lucky,” the 23-year-old said about her win. As the new Miss D.C., Williams will spend the next year promoting her platform of service: preventative care.
Williams said her platform was inspired by her studies and by her trip to India last summer on a medical mission.
“I sort of took home the idea that in America we have the resources to carry out the concept of preventative care and I want to see a firm emphasis put on that,” Williams said.
Her platform also relates to the Miss America Organization’s broader mission of raising money for children’s hospitals throughout the U.S. in a partnership with Children’s Miracle Network.
Each Miss America-sponsored pageant contestant is expected to raise a minimum of $100 in donations for Children’s Miracle Network and the Miss America Scholarship Fund. Williams set a personal goal of raising $2,000.
The competition took place at the Lincoln Theatre on U Street and Williams performed Broadway vocals as her talent. She was one of three GW students in the competition, which had 17 total contestants. To be eligible for Miss D.C., contestants must either attend school, work, or reside in the District.
Judges for the pageant included Gina Adams, vice president of government affairs for the FedEx Corporation, and Miss Virginia 2005 Kristi Glakas.
Prior to the pageant, Miss D.C. contestants received training in interviewing, public speaking and networking. In addition to these career skills, both Miss D.C. and Miss America provide scholarships to contestants.
The Miss America Scholarship Program and its state and local affiliates comprise the world’s largest provider of scholarship assistance for young women, offering more than $45 million in cash and scholarship assistance last year, according to the organization’s website.
Though Williams said she will not be returning to GW in the fall, she does plan to publish medical research while taking a year off to fulfill Miss D.C. duties.
Williams will compete in the 90th installment of the Miss America Pageant, which airs on ABC on Jan. 15.
