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19/12/2019
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New Albany native was crowned Miss Indiana in June
By BROOKE MCAFEE Dec 19, 2019
Tiarra Taylor, New Albany native and Miss Indiana, introduces herself on national television at the Miss America competition Thursday night. A large group of family members gathered at her cousin's house in New Albany to watch the event.
By BROOKE MCAFEE brooke.mcafee@newsandtribune.com
NEW ALBANY — A New Albany native represented the state of Indiana in front of a national audience at Thursday’s Miss America competition.
Tiarra Taylor, 21, competed in the Miss America 2020 competition and appeared onstage in Thursday’s broadcast. She was one of 51 women representing 50 states and the District of Columbia at the national competition, which took place in Uncasville, Conn. She didn’t make it to the finals, but she introduced herself on television at the beginning of the event.
A large group of her family members gathered around the television at a watch party in New Albany as the event was aired live on NBC. Her mother, grandmother and other family members attended the event in Connecticut.
Donna Mozee, Taylor's grandmother, was overwhelmed with emotions to see her granddaughter make it to the Miss America competition.
"I am just so proud of her," she said in a phone interview. "This is something she always wanted to do growing up as a teenager. This has always been her dream to be in the Miss America pageant, so she's just living that dream out. I'm just so overwhelmed and so super proud of her.”
The contestants have spent the past week competing in various events, including talent exhibitions and interviews, and preliminary competitions took place Dec. 15 and Dec. 16.
Taylor, a senior studying communications at Indiana State University, was crowned Miss Indiana in June. At the various contests through Miss America and Miss Indiana, she has showcased her talent in singing and her social impact initiative of "bringing advantages to disadvantaged youth." She was also the winner of Miss Harvest Homecoming in 2017, and she has also served as Miss Indiana State University.
She grew up in a low-income household, and she is the first-generation college student. While serving as Miss Indiana and a Miss America contestant, she has continued as a full-time student at ISU, and she has highlighted her platform of youth empowerment in a variety of ways, including serving as "principal for a day" at an elementary school in Terre Haute. She hopes to pursue a career as a teacher.
In a recent interview with the Terre Haute's Tribune-Star, Taylor discussed her mission of inspiring young people, saying “their dreams are tangible despite their circumstance” and that she is 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.”
The Miss America Organization is now referring to the event as a competition instead of a pageant, and it has been named "Miss America 2.0." Starting last year, organizers scrapped the long-running swimsuit and evening gown competitions, saying the contestants will no longer be judged on physical appearance. The event features talent exhibitions and interviews for candidates to discuss achievements, goals and social impact initiatives.
Sabrina Mozee, Taylor’s cousin, hosted Thursday’s watch party. She said it’s a blessing to see Taylor reach the Miss America competition, and she wishes she could have seen the full show on television, including the preliminaries, to see her cousin’s talent.
Just making it this far speaks for itself, Sabrina said.
“A lot of young ladies wish they could make it to that stage, and just the milestone that she made it — we’re proud of her,” she said. "She’s our Miss America. It doesn’t matter if she got the title or not.”
Sabrina said Taylor has been singing “since she came out the womb,” and she comes from a family of singers. She also described her drive to help others.
“She has a heart of gold, and when she sees people who are at a disadvantage or less fortunate, it just tears at her,” she said. "If she’s able to give back, that’s what she’s going to do.”
Charlene Taylor, who is Taylor’s aunt, said “she’s our queen, she’s our Miss America,” and she wants her niece to know that her family is proud of her.
Derek Griffin, Taylor’s boyfriend since high school, said she has spent countless hours staying up late to practice for the vocal performances and interviews for the competition. They went to New Albany High School together, and they both attend ISU, so he has watched her succeed at many competitions over the years.
“This is a lot to take in,” he said. “She’s finally making her dreams come true.”
In 2018, Sabrina watched Taylor compete for Miss Indiana in Zionsville. She didn’t make it that year, but she stayed positive and made it the following year. She views her cousin’s achievement in making it to Miss America as a stepping stone, she said.
“God has something better for her,” she said. “When we talk to her later on tonight, it’s not going to be no tears or I feel sorry for myself. She’s going to say, well, 'watch me next year.’”
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