There she is, the new Miss America.
Miss New York Cassie Donegan upgraded her tiara Sept. 7 besting 51 of her fellow contestants to take the literal crown in Orlando.
“Miss America has always been a powerful springboard,” the 27-year-old detailed after in a press release, “for ambitious women to turn their dreams into reality.”
Her victory netted the Belmont University musical theatre grad $70,000 in scholarships to use toward a master’s degree and a platform to discuss her community service initiative—a push for arts education in schools.
Said Donegan, also the chief operations officer of New York-based Southern Sitter LLC, “I am honored to represent an organization that provides scholarships, resources, and a platform for women to lead—and I’m deeply grateful for the chance to bring that mission to life.”
In other words, the 104-year-old pageant has grown a bit since it began as a “bathing beauty revue” on New Jersey’s Atlantic City boardwalk.