Washington Week: Student Voices (O)

Ball State U. student to compete in Miss America pageant
By Derick Brattain
Daily News (Ball State U.)
06/25/2007

(U-WIRE) MUNCIE, Ind. — For the first time in 50 years, a Ball State University student was crowned Miss Indiana. Nicole Rash, a junior majoring in fashion design and Spanish took the title Saturday at the Zionsville Performing Arts Center with a crowd of more than 1,500 looking on.

Rash, who was also crowned Miss Ball State earlier this year, competed against a group of 27 women from around the state. Rash's platform was "Get on the L-BUS to break Language Barriers in the United States." Rash spent one semester as an exchange student in Bolivia working for the American Field Service.

While in Bolivia, she was offered to teach English in Santiago, Chile for UNIAC. Instead, she returned to Ball State and competed in various pageants.

Rash has competed in pageants for only two years and has had distinct awards. In addition to being named Miss Indiana 2007, Rash finished first runner-up in the Miss Indiana 2006 competition and was crowned Miss Ball State University 2007. After taking second place in the previous competition, Rash said she needed to change some things.

"I definitely had more interview preparations," Rash said. "Jim and Joy Robbins from Image Improvement Inc. helped me so much. My director Carol Kosisko helped me do mock interviews. I got a new gown this year, went to the gym, and stayed fit."

After the weeklong event, Rash has plans for the week to come.

"I am sure we will celebrate around the area," Rash said. "I also will be catching up on rest hopefully. It's been a very long and exciting week, but I am definitely drained."

Rash will now move on to compete in the Miss America 2008 pageant, hoping to be the first winner from Indiana.

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