The enthusiasm and excitement filled Boardwalk Hall this week as the Miss America Organization proudly presented the Academy of Honor Award to Chet Welch, President and State Executive Director of the Miss Pennsylvania Organization. Chet began volunteering for the Miss America Organization more than 35 years ago. Throughout this time he has served in varying roles, including Local Director for 24 years where he produced 12 Miss Pennsylvania’s and currently served as the State Executive Director.
The special announcement of the 2016 Quality of Life award winners provided more wonderful reasons to celebrate. Among the 52 contestants, three were chosen as recipients of this year’s Quality of Life Awards. This year’s winner of the $6,000 Quality of Life Award is Miss New Jersey Lindsey Giannini. Lindsey’s personal platform, Dangers of Distracted Driving, focuses on the importance of driving awareness and to make roadways safe for all.
The first-runner up for the Quality of Life Award and winner of a $4,000 scholarship was
Miss Tennessee Hannah Robison. Hannah’s personal platform, Campaign Against Pain: Arthritis Awareness, supports furthering research to find a cure and reducing treatment costs.
The second runner-up and winner of a $2,000 scholarship was Miss Alabama Meghan McGuffin. Meghan’s personal platform, Healthy is the New Skinny, encourages young women to have a positive body image.
The 2016 STEM Scholarship winners were also announced on stage, these scholarships will allow women to pursue numerous careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The STEM scholarships will empower more women to pursue careers in STEM fields to lead successful lives. The winners of the 2016 STEM Scholarships are:
- Miss Colorado 2015 Kelley Johnson
- Miss Mississippi 2015 Hannah Roberts
- Miss Tennessee 2015 Hannah Robison
- Miss Vermont 2015 Alayna Westcom
- Miss Washington 2015 Lizzi Jackson
The national broadcast of the 95th anniversary of the 2016 Miss America Competition will take place on Sunday, September 13 (9:00 -11:00 p.m. ET live/PT tape-delayed), live from Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall on the ABC Television Network.
Tickets for the 2016 Miss America Competition are now on sale and can be purchased at ticketmaster.com. For more information on the 2016 Miss America Competition, please visit Miss America Organization’s website at www.missamerica.org.
For the latest news, be sure to follow Miss America on social and join the conversation by using the official hashtag for the show, #MissAmerica.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/missamerica
Twitter: https://twitter.com/missamericaorg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/missamericaorg
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/MissAmericaOrg
Tumblr: http://blog.missamerica.org/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+missamerica/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/missamericaorg/
Join the Conversation: #MissAmerica