Meet the 51 women competing to be Miss America 2020

Amanda Krause and Anneta Konstantinides 

The Miss America 2020 competition is taking place on Thursday in Uncasville, Connecticut.
Fifty-one women are vying for the coveted title at the pageant, which no longer includes a swimsuit or evening gown competition.
The Miss America 2020 competition will air live on Thursday at 8 p.m. on NBC.
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As the year comes to a close, most Americans are running around to finish last-minute holiday shopping or jetting off on their vacations.

But there's no rest just yet for the 51 women who are gearing up for the Miss America 2020 competition.

This is the second year Miss America will not have a swimsuit or evening gown competition; since 2018, the contest has been known as "Miss America 2.0," a rebranding effort by the organization.

And this year Miss America has a brand-new home, moving to the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut, where the finals will air live on NBC starting at 8 p.m. ET.

Here are all 51 women competing for the crown this year.

Alabama: Tiara Pennington

Alabama
Tiara Pennington of Alabama. Miss America
Tiara Pennington is a political science major at the University of Alabama. She is the first black woman to be named Miss University Alabama and the second black woman to be named Miss Alabama (the first, Kalyn Chapman James, was crowned in 1993).

Pennington's name was actually inspired by the world of pageants. Her mother Dedra Eastland Pennington competed for Miss Alabama in the 1980s and became a pageant director.

"My mom was searching online for tiaras (when she was pregnant), and my dad walked in one day," Pennington told AL.com. "She said, 'I'm looking for tiaras.' And my dad said, 'That's what we're going to name her, Tiara.'"

Alaska: Maile Johnston
Alaska
Maile Johnston of Alaska. Miss America
Maile Johnston is a biology major at the University of Alaska Anchorage and hopes to attend law school to study environmental law.

Johnston has been dancing since she was 11 years old, studying everything from ballet and lyrical to contemporary and hip-hop, according to the Miss Anchorage Program.

Johnston has been collecting suitcases and toiletries to donate to children in foster care as part of her social-impact initiative.

Arizona: Jacqueline Thomas
Arizona
Jacqueline Thomas of Arizona. Miss America
Jacqueline Thomas graduated from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix with a degree in business management. She won Miss Arizona after competing for the title for the last five years.

Thomas' social-impact initiative for the pageant, titled "Lady Leaders," was inspired by the fact that she was not allowed to be the president of her high school because she was a girl.

"There were no females in any leadership position from the top faculty all the way down to the students," Thomas told GCU Today. "They just didn't encourage women to pursue being leaders or role models or provide us with any sort of role models. The highest position I was allowed to have was secretary, so I was student body secretary."

Arkansas: Darynne Dahlem
Arkansas
Darynne Dahlem of Arkansas. Miss America
Darynne Dahlem graduated with an animal science degree from the University of Arkansas, where she plans to return for medical school.

Dahlem has been competing for Miss Arkansas for five years, picking up numerous titles along the way. But when Dahlem's mother first signed her up for a pageant, at the age of 13, she absolutely "hated it."

"I swore up and down I was never gonna do another pageant as long as I lived, because I had really bad stage fight," Dahlem told The Arkansas Traveler. "I'd stand up there and just shake."

Dahlem decided to give pageants another go when she turned 18, and so began her journey to winning Miss Arkansas. 

California: Eileen Kim
California
Eileen Kim of California. Miss America
Eileen Kim graduated from Chapman Universe with a degree in business administration. She has dreamed of a career in international law since she was in kindergarten and has played classical violin since she was 3 years old.

Kim's social-impact initiative is "Let's Talk: Opening the Discussion Surrounding Self-Harm and Developing Healthy Coping Mechanisms." The initiative was inspired by Kim's own adolescent struggles with an eating disorder and self-harm amid the pressure she felt as a "model minority," she told Chapman Newsroom.

The pageant queen spoke about these pressures during a TEDx Talk she gave in 2017.

"No matter the accomplishments that I had, I attributed them all to the fact that I was a woman, or that I was Asian," she said. "Or any sort of label that people had (placed) on me."

Colorado: Monica Thompson
Colorado
Monica Thompson of Colorado. Miss America
Monica Thompson is a graduate of Oklahoma City University, where she was the first student to complete a double honors major in vocal performance and music theater, according to the Miss Colorado website.

Thompson's social-impact initiative is "Building Strong Girls," which was inspired by her experience growing up with sisters in a "primarily single-parent household," the website states.

She has won the Miss America Community Service Award three years in a row, raising more than $21,000 and volunteering more than 500 hours for various organizations.

Connecticut: Jillian Duffy
Connecticut
Jillian Duffy of Connecticut. Miss America
Jillian Duffy is a business administration graduate from Southern Connecticut State University. She began competing in pageants when she was eight, and won Miss Connecticut after five years of competing for the crown.

Duffy was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia when she was 13 years old. She continued to compete in pageants as she underwent chemotherapy, according to Connecticut Children's Medical Center.

The pageant queen hopes to continue inspiring children who have pediatric cancer.

"The first thing I'll say to them is to just think about tomorrow," she told The Hartford Courant. "I'll tell them my story of where I was just five or six years ago. I'm Miss CT and I got my life back."

Delaware: Hillary May
Delaware
Hillary May of Delaware. Miss America
Hillary May graduated from Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana, with a degree in psychology and is currently pursuing her doctoral degree in education from the University of Delaware.

May is a passionate advocate for destigmatizing mental illness and currently volunteers at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, according to the University of Delaware website.

She also works at Supporting Kidds, Delaware's only grief center for children, where she facilitates group therapy sessions for children ages 5 through 16 who have lost a parent or sibling.

District of Columbia: Katelynne Cox
District of Columbia
Katelynne Cox of the District of Columbia. Miss America
Katelynne Cox graduated from the University of Missouri with a degree in nonprofit management at the age of 17. She is currently the manager of fundraising and events at the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

Cox released three albums as a teen and has toured and performed across the country. She has also worked as an anchor for NBC affiliate KOMU and as a cheerleader for the Washington Capitals, according to the Miss District of Columbia website.

She is also the founder of Silence Is Not Compliance, through which she has lobbied for victims of sexual assault before the US Congress.

"I am a survivor of sexual assault and was raped in college, and I wanted to turn my terrible experience into a way that could help others," she told Voice of America.

Florida: Michaela McLean
Florida
Michaela McLean of Florida. Miss America
Michaela McLean graduated from the University of Alabama with a double major in dance and public relations.

McLean hopes to pursue a career in the performing arts or entertainment public relations and dreams of performing on Broadway or working for "The Ellen DeGeneres show," she told Central Florida Ag News.

The pageant queen is also the cofounder of Brave and Beautiful, through which she has taught dance classes in orphanages, as well as schools and churches in the Dominican Republic.

Georgia: Victoria Hill
Georgia
Victoria Hill of Georgia. Miss America
Victoria Hill is a vocal performance student at Reinhardt University in Waleska, Georgia.

Hill, who has won national awards in classical singing, dreams of becoming a professional opera singer, according to the Tribune Ledger News.

And Hill has already won big in the Miss America preliminaries. On Monday she was named both the overall talent winner and the onstage question winner.

Hill is a passionate advocate for foster youth and volunteers at North Georgia Angel House, which provides support for foster children.

Hawaii: Nicole Holbrook
Hawaii
Nicole Holbrook of Hawaii. Miss America
Nicole Holbrook is a business management student at Brigham Young University—Hawaii in Laie.

Holbrook first discovered pageants after a career-ending soccer injury dashed her dreams of becoming a student athlete in college, according to The Ke Alaka'i.

Just 14 years old at the time, Holbrook had also been taking piano lessons. Her teacher, a former Miss Oklahoma, then began telling her about the Miss America Organization.

"I like the fact that the Miss America Organization focused on service, talent and scholarship," Holbrook told the student magazine. "I decided to compete and have been involved ever since."

Idaho: Grace Zimmerman
Idaho
Grace Zimmerman of Idaho. Miss America
Grace Zimmerman is studying market entrepreneurship at the University of Idaho.

Zimmerman was originally first runner-up for Miss Idaho, but received the crown after winner Rachel Forest stepped down to pursue an academic opportunity, according to KIVI Boise.

The pageant queen's social-impact initiative is "wholesome health."

"I'm promoting self-care that includes taking care of yourself internally and externally," she told the University of Idaho Argonaut.

Illinois: Ariel Beverly
Illinois
Ariel Beverly of Illinois. Miss Illinois
Ariel Beverly graduated from Illinois State University and has spent the last year teaching art at a high school in Chatham, Illinois.

Beverly began entering pageants when she was in college, but took a three-year break after she felt she was putting too much time into the competitions.

"I thought I was losing myself a little bit," she told Illinois State University.

Now Beverly is focused on advocating for arts education, collecting and donating over $10,000 worth of art supplies to school art programs over the last few years.

Indiana: Tiarra Taylor
Indiana
Tiarra Taylor of Indiana. Miss America
Tiarra Taylor is a communications student at Indiana State University. She aspires to become a teacher one day.

The first-generation college student's social-impact initiative is to bring advantages to disadvantaged youth.

"It's all about empowering young people and giving them the tools necessary to thrive," she told CNHI News Indiana. "Their dreams are tangible despite their circumstance, just because I'm a living testament that it doesn't matter where you come from or who you are, you can totally do all the things you dream of."

Iowa: Emily Tinsman
Iowa
Emily Tinsman of Iowa. Miss America
Emily Tinsman is a music education graduate from Drake University. Tinsman was set to teach in September but put her plans on hold after winning Miss Iowa.

"I'm a little nervous about calling my principal and telling him I'm sorry, but I can't teach this year," Tinsman told The Quad-City Times after winning. "I'll have a year of Miss Iowa and then, it's wherever life takes me."

Tinsman first got involved with pageants in college after she began running the social media for Pageant Planet, an online pageant company.

Kansas: Annika Wooton
Kansas
Annika Wooton of Kansas. Miss America
Annika Wooton graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in illustration. She has showcased her live painting in exhibits across America, and her work has appeared in New York Magazine, according to her official website.

Wooton is also on the board of directors with the Kansas Alliance for the Arts in Education and has traveled to Washington, DC to speak with legislators about the importance of the arts in schools.

"My vision for this job is to communicate with everyone and build on my platform of bringing quality arts into every community," Wooton said during the final round for Miss Kansas.

Kentucky: Alex Francke
Kentucky
Alex Francke of Kentucky Miss America
Alex Francke is a business management graduate from the University of Kentucky. She won the Miss Kentucky title after being named first runner-up in the 2018 pageant.

"This has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember," she told The Lexington-Herald Leader.

Francke is the founder of Adopt an Art, a nonprofit that provides free art classes to schools where art programs are disappearing.

"I wanted to find a way to connect to kids who are passionate but may not have resources to take arts lessons and classes," Francke told the paper.

Louisiana: Meagan Crews
Louisiana
Meagan Crews of Louisiana. Miss America
Meagan Crews is a marketing major at Louisiana State University Shreveport. After she graduates, Crews plans on pursuing law school.

Crews has been competing in pageants since she was 6 years old. She took a year off from competing for Miss Louisiana so that she could act as student government association president at her university, according to The News-Star.

While serving as president, Crews spoke to legislators against the potential merger of Louisiana State University Shreveport with Louisiana Tech University.

Maine: Carolyn Brady
Maine
Carolyn Brady of Maine. Miss America
Carolyn Brady graduated from Bowdoin College with a degree in government and legal studies. She is the first African-American to win Miss Maine in the pageant's 84-year history.

"I hold the title in a state that's about 5% African-American, if that," Brady told The Bowdoin Orient. "I think it really shows that we're moving toward a more diverse and inclusive standard of beauty, which is amazing, and I just feel so fortunate to be able to represent that."

Brady began competing in Miss America pageants in college, after a former contestant was impressed by her violin performance with the Bowdoin Symphony Orchestra and encouraged her to apply.

Maryland: Caitlyn Stupi
Maryland
Caitlyn Stupi of Maryland. Miss America
Caitlyn Stupi graduated from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, with a degree in graphic design.

Stupi next plans to get a master's degree at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and pursue a career in graphics and illustration, according to the Carroll County Times.

The pageant queen is passionate about promoting youth financial literacy, even writing and publishing a children's book to help teach financial education to kids.

"Being able to go in at an early age and just introduce these concepts is something I'm very passionate about," she told the paper. "It's really my vision that every child will learn the basics of financial literacy, to really just give them the empowerment and security that they need for a brighter future, regardless of their socioeconomic background."

Massachusetts: Lyndsey Littlefield
Massachusetts
Lyndsey Littlefield of Massachusetts. Miss America
Lyndsey Littlefield is studying biology at Bridgewater State University in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. She aspires to become a dentist, her dream career since she was a child.

Littlefield has also competed in Ninja Warrior competitions, including the 2018 Obstacle Course Racing World Championships in London, according to The Standard-Times.

"One of the reasons I got into pageants is I was so ready to shake up this world," Littlefield said. "I didn't go into pageants because I wanted to be a beautiful princess. I wanted to be a fierce warrior."

Michigan: Mallory Rivard
Michigan
Mallory Rivard of Michigan. Miss America
Mallory Rivard graduated from Saginaw Valley State University in University Center, Michigan, with a degree in early childhood education.

Rivard has been a first-grade teacher for two years and is pursuing a master's degree in early childhood education. She is also a passionate advocate for literacy.

The pageant queen has already hit the ground running at Miss America, winning the private interview award during preliminaries on Sunday.

Minnesota: Kathryn Kueppers
Minnesota
Kathryn Kueppers of Minnesota. Miss America
Kathryn Kueppers is studying family and consumer sciences at Minnesota State University-Mankato. She also has an associates degree in the culinary arts.

She comes from a legacy of pageant queens. Her mother, Vicki Plaster Kueppers, won Miss Minnesota in 1983.

The pair are the only mother and daughter to win Miss Minessota in the competition's history. They are the 11th mother and daughter to win in the Miss America program, according to The St. Paul Pioneer Press.

Kueppers first became fascinated with pageants after she discovered her mother's tiara in a box stashed in the basement when she was 4 years old. Her mother took her to the Miss Minnesota competition every year after.

Mississippi: Mary Margaret Hyer
Mississippi
Mary Margaret Hyer of Mississippi. Miss America
Mary Margaret Hyer graduated from the University of Mississippi with an English degree. She is next planning to attend law school.

Hyer broke her foot while getting caught between a boat and the dock just weeks before competing for the Miss Mississippi title, according to The Clarion-Ledger.

"I've never broken a bone before in my life, so it was interesting timing to say the least," she told the paper.

Thanks to a boot and plenty of elevation, most of the swelling went down before the competition.

Missouri: Simone Esters
Missouri
Simone Esters of Missouri. Miss America
Simone Esters is a journalism student at the University of Missouri. She performs in the school's Marching Mizzou as a baton twirler, and also mentors young twirlers across the country to help them develop their skills in the sport.

When not at school, Esters devotes her time to a 501(c)3 nonprofit she created in a partnership with the Missouri School of Journalism called Writeous Girls, Inc. The program works to "empower young girls through media and community."

Her social-impact initiative, called Leave You MARK: Mentor At-Risk Kids, aims to improve the quality and quantity of mentors in Missouri.

Montana: Mo Shea
Montana
Mo Shea of Montana. Miss America
Mo Shea has a history of winning pageants. Not only was she crowned Miss Montana in June, but she also took home Miss Montana's Outstanding Teen title in 2012.

Equally impressive are her academic achievements. After high school, Shea graduated magna cum laude from the University of Montana with a degree in cellular and molecular neuroscience.

She's now an advocate for skin cancer awareness, and plans to be a dermatologist.

Nebraska: Allie Swanson
Nebraska
Allie Swanson of Nebraska. Miss America
Allie Swanson proudly accepted her Miss Nebraska crown in June as a fifth-generation Nebraskan. She even told The North Platte Telegraph that she wanted her win to celebrate the state rather than herself.

"I don't want this to be about me," Swanson said. "I know I won Miss Nebraska, but I don't take this responsibility lightly and I love my state."

In the future, Swanson hopes to continously dedicate time to her church, become a CEO of her own company, and also "create a type of technology that adds to the world."

Nevada: Nasya Mancini
Nevada
Nasya Mancini of Nevada. Miss America
Nasya Mancini is a big believer in miracles. She was born prematurely after 25 weeks, and was originally given a 10% chance of survival.

Today, Mancini spends her time pursuing a career in broadcast television, and is also passionate about acting. She'll also be promoting a social-impact initiative called Patch for a Purpose #FindYourVoice during the Miss America competition.

The initiative aims to empower children to learn about their character, confidence, creativity, and well-being.

New Hampshire: Sarah Tubbs
New Hampshire
Sarah Tubbs of New Hampshire. Miss America
Sarah Tubbs took home the Miss New Hampshire crown after being named runner-up for three years in a row. She used each loss as encouragement, and told the Argus Champion Eagle Times that she spent her runner-up years practicing for the title.

"Every year that I haven't won Miss New Hampshire, I decided to take it upon myself to do the things I would do as Miss New Hampshire anyways," she said.

Tubbs graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a degree in marketing and management, and a minor in dance. She now works as a professional dance teacher.

New Jersey: Jade Glab
New Jersey
Jade Glab of New Jersey. Miss America
Jade Glab hails from Belmar, New Jersey, and studied at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University. She now combines two of her biggest passions — music and health — to empower children through a social-impact initiative.

Healthy Children, Strong America teaches young people about why they should "take control of their health before it takes control of them," according to the Miss New Jersey website. Glab works with the initiative to host musical presentations, which encourage kids to dance.

Many songs used in the program were written by Glab, who sings and plays acoustic guitar, piano, and flute.

On Wednesday, Glab impressed the Miss America judges during the preliminary competition when she won the onstage interview portion. She took home a $1,000 scholarship as a result.

New Mexico: Misa Tran
New Mexico
Misa Tran of New Mexico. Miss America
Misa Tran is an attendee of New Mexico State University's Department of Kinesiology and Dance, where she majors in athletic training. She plans on using her future degree to help veterans, first responders, and the Children's Miracle Network.

After being crowned Miss New Mexico, Tran began working with Operation Gratitude, a nonprofit that sends care packages to members of the military and their families. The organization is dear to her, as her father was previously deployed.

She also devotes time to hospitals associated with the Children's Miracle Network, and plans on attending graduate school.

New York: Lauren Molella
New York
Lauren Molella of New York. Miss America
Lauren Molella has acheived much success in the academic world. She has five different STEM degrees, including a master's in psychology from Sacred Heart University. She's also passionate about ballet and dance, and works as a choreographer.

In terms of activism, Molella focuses on supporting women and members of the military. Her social-impact initiative is called Voices of Honor: Serving America's Heroes, which aims to help communities at risk of PTSD and suicide.

Miss North Carolina: Alexandra Badgett
North Carolina
Alexandra Badgett of North Carolina. Miss America
Alexandra Badgett graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in insurance, risk management, and finance, as well as a minor in actuarial mathematics. She also previously held the title of Miss North Carolina Outstanding Teen in 2012.

Badgett is now dedicated to her social-impact initiative called N.I.N.E (No Is Not Enough), which works against rape and promotes the message of "no means no." She hopes to continue these efforts by winning Miss America.

In her free time, the contestant enjoys dancing and being with her family.

North Dakota: Haley Wolfe
North Dakota
Haley Wolfe of North Dakota. Miss America
Haley Wolfe previously told Inforum that she competes in pageants mainly "for the scholarship money," though she also wants to give back to people in need.

For example, she aims to support a platform called #BeThe1To, which raises awareness about teen suicide prevention. She also takes place in the Fargo Walk Out of Darkness to raise money for suicide prevention, and dedicates time to the Children's Miracle Network.

"I just love giving back, especially when you have something like a crown to use as a megaphone to raise awareness," she told Inforum.

Ohio: Caroline Grace Williams
Ohio
Caroline Grace Williams of Ohio. Miss America
Caroline Grace Williams is currently enrolled in a graduate program to attain her master's degree in education. She works in the Office of Admission for Miami University, and also performs professionally at theaters throughout the Cincinnati area.

As Miss Ohio, Williams created a social-impact initiative called The F.A.C.T.S. of Calling 911: Caroline's Crisis Call. It aims to promote personal safety, and teach people how to handle crisis scenarios.

Williams was inspired to create the initiative after being involved in a serious car accident.

Oklahoma: Addison Price
Oklahoma
Addison Price of Oklahoma. Miss America
Addison Price held the Miss Tulsa and Miss Oklahoma's Outstanding Teen titles before being named Miss Oklahoma. She's extremely proud of her home state, and is currently studying marketing and nonprofit management at Oklahoma State University.

As someone with dyslexia, Price "understands the struggles many differently-abled students face," according to the Miss Oklahoma website. Her experience even inspired her social-impact initiative: Empowering Individuals with Learning Difference through Self-Advocacy.

In the future, she hopes to inspire children to use their voices and express their needs in learning environments. She's also working with her local governor's office to "rebrand" Oklahoma.

Oregon: Shivali Kadam
Oregon
Shivali Kadam of Oregon. Miss America
Shivali Kadam has a degree in chemical engineering from Oregon State University, and also works full-time as a construction manager.

She's extremely passionate about STEM, and aims to inspire a new generation of female workers, according to the Portland Tribune. Fittingly, her social-impact initiative is called STEM to Bloom: Growing the Next Generation of Female Engineers and Scientists.

Like many other Miss America contestants, Kadam also works with the Children's Miracle Network, and says she's "raised thousands of dollars" for the organization in recent years.

Pennsylvania: Tiffany Seitz
Pennsylvania
Tiffany Seitz of Pennsylvania. Miss America
Tiffany Seitz had to overcome numerous challenges before reaching the Miss America pageant. Not only did she enter the Miss Pennsylvania pageant late (another contestant dropped out), but she also had little pageant experience and had only practiced her talent routine twice.

Still, Seitz persevered, took home the crown, and is now headed to the national competition. When not onstage, the contestant works as a dance teacher. She hopes to someday own her own studio, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Her impact initiative throughout the competition will be called Adoption Advocacy — Restoring Hope, Transforming Lives. She was inspired by her own adoption.

Rhode Island: Molly Andrade
Rhode Island
Molly Andrade of Rhode Island. Miss America
Molly Andrade hopes to become the first Miss America winner from Rhode Island, despite not having much of a background competing in pageants. Instead, she began participating after learning about the potential scholarship opportunities they can offer.

Currently, Andrade is a student at Endicott College, where she studies business management and political science. She also works with Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, and has a social-impact initiative titled SARA (Sexual Assault Resistance and Awareness).

"The program helps women understand the reality," Andrade told Endicott College about SARA. "I think that I was somewhat naïve in high school. I thought, 'that's never going to happen' or 'that would never be me,' but when the statistics become real it changes your perspective."

South Carolina: Morgan Nichols
South Carolina
Morgan Nichols of South Carolina. Miss America
Morgan Nichols won the Miss South Carolina pageant on her first try, according to the Greenville News. After being crowned, she told the news outlet she was "just in shock."

As she enters the Miss America pageant, Nichols is focusing on encouraging women to pursue a STEM education through her social-impact initiative, Stronger with STEM. Nichols herself has a degree from the College of Science at Clemson University.

"I really take this as a job," Nichols told her college newspaper The Newsstand. "I'm here to promote the life sciences, yes, but also to inspire the next generation of women leaders, legislators, and decision-makers."

South Dakota: Amber Hulse
South Dakota
Amber Hulse of South Dakota. Miss America
Amber Hulse has been competing in pageants since she was 13 years old. As The Volante reported, she's also a student of political science at the University of South Dakota.

For her social-impact initiative, Hulse created a nonprofit organization called Operation Overload, which helps young people plan their careers. Speaking to The Volante, Hulse also said the program helps inspire confidence and public-speaking skills in participants.

"I don't think there's anything that can really prepare you for being Miss South Dakota," Hulse told the school newspaper. "You don't have a lot of time for yourself. And that's okay because every single thing you go to is one of those incredible life-changing moments."

Tennessee: Brianna Mason
Tennessee
Brianna Mason of Tennessee. Miss America
Brianna Mason is the first black woman to take home the Miss Tennessee title. She works as a first-grade teacher, and has both a bachelor's and master's degree from the University of Tennessee.

In 2017, Mason created a nonprofit organization called Advocates for Autism to promote awareness and inclusion, according to the Tennessean. She said the program was inspired by a friend who has autism.

As an ambassador for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, Mason will also dedicate time to promoting literacy and being "a voice for educators."

Texas: Chandler Foreman
Texas
Chandler Foreman of Texas. Miss America
Chandler Foreman studies converged broadcast media at the University of North Texas. Though she's taking a break from school to focus on the upcoming pageant, she plans to get her degree afterwards.

As a pageant contestant, Foreman created a social-impact initiative called The Leader Within, through which she shares personal anecdotes from her life with young people to inspire them.

She's also dedicated to changing the stereotypes associated with "pageant girls." According to the Miss Texas website, she commonly shares "her experiences across cultural and economic lines," and displays "the qualities and skills" obtained through her time in pageants.

Utah: Dexonna Talbot
Utah
Dexonna Talbot of Utah. Miss America
Dexonna Talbot hails from the city of Spanish Fork, and is majoring in ballet performance at The University of Utah. Her dancing skills have previously brought her to study in Prague, and landed her an audition on "So You Think You Can Dance."

When not dancing, studying, or competing in pageants, Talbot works on her social-impact initiative, called Servesteem. The program encourages all acts of service — no matter how big or small — to help "strengthen one's own self-esteem," according to the Miss Utah website.

Vermont: Jillian Fisher
Vermont
Jillian Fisher of Vermont. Miss America
Jillian Fisher is pursuing a degree in animal science at the University of Vermont. Her ultimate goal is to become a veterinarian and have her own practice within her home state.

According to the Miss Vermont website, she's particularly passionate about cows, and has spent time working at a dairy barn to deliver more than 30 calves.

During the pageant, however, Fisher is shifting her focus to help combat opioid addiction through her social-impact initiative called Fighting Addiction. It was inspired by her family's connection to the drug crisis, and helps educate people on the resources available to them within the state.

Virginia: Camille Schrier
Virginia
Camille Schrier of Virginia. Miss America
Camille Schrier shocked viewers of the 2019 Miss Virginia pageant when she completed a science experiment during the talent portion.

The display made perfect sense, as Schrier has worked as a biochemist since graduating from Virginia Tech. She's now aiming to become a Doctor of Pharmacy through her studies at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Her newest goal, however, is to use her Miss America platform to promote her social-impact initiative: Mind Your Meds: Drug Safety and Abuse Prevention from Pediatrics to Geriatrics.

Washington: Abbie Kondel
Washington
Abbie Kondel of Washington. Miss America
Abbie Kondel has a go-to trick for stealing the show during pageants: tap dancing. She's been dancing since she was 3 years old, and now studies the art at Brigham Young University.

During the Miss America pageant, however, she'll be focusing on making change through her social-impact initiative, Be Smart, Don't Start. The platform will allow her to speak out against drug addiction, which has affected members of her family.

"You can see how people's lives and later generations are affected by their choices," Kondel previously told the Columbian. "You can see how addiction has affected my family."

West Virginia: Toriane Graal
West Virginia
Toriane Graal of West Virginia. Miss America
Toriane Graal won her state's 75th annual pageant this year, and beat out 10 other contestants in the process. She previously studied accounting at West Virginia University, and represented Team USA at the 2019 Grand Prix of baton twirling in France.

She's now looking to take home the national title too by sharing her social-impact initiative, called Let's Be CLEAR: Children's Leukemia Education, Awareness, Resilience.

Wisconsin: Alyssa Bohm
Wisconsin
Alyssa Bohm of Wisconsin. Miss America
Alyssa Bohm is no stranger to the stage — she worked for her father as a magician's assistant starting at 2 years old, according to The Journal Times.

She's since become a special education teacher, and plans to carry her academic skills over to the Miss America pageant through her social-impact initiative: Enhancing opportunities for individuals with special needs. She was inspired by her aunt, who has a learning disability.

Her work doesn't stop there. Bohm also serves on the board of directors for Special Olympics Wisconsin, and was previously a co-adviser for a special needs cheerleading team.

Wyoming: Jordan Hardman
Wyoming
Jordan Hardman of Wyoming. Miss America
Jordan Hardman is studying family and consumer sciences at the University of Wyoming. She aspires to become a pediatric physician assistant.

Hardman first got involved in pageants when she was 9 years old.

"My mom wanted to get into something after my parents divorced," Hardman told SweetwaterNOW. "I was hooked after the first one."

When Hardman was 14, she told her mother she dreamed of becoming Miss Wyoming one day.

"She has been beside me with that dream ever since," Hardman told the site.

https://www.insider.com/meet-the-women-competing-miss-america-2020-2019-12#wyoming-jordan-hardman-51