By TNCP Staff
Ashley Jones from East Lansing, a recent Michigan State University (MSU) graduate, was a top 15 semi-finalist in the Miss Michigan USA 2016 pageant this in Port Huron. Preliminaries were on Friday, September 25, and finals were held Saturday, September 26. Ashley was one of 70 young women vying for the crown to represent Michigan at the Miss USA pageant next year.
As the reigning Miss Black Michigan and Miss East Lansing, she is obviously beautiful but she is also intelligent. As a recent honors graduate (3.75 GPA) of MSU, she is obviously on her way to doing great things.
Ashley is a 2011 graduate of East Lansing High School. She says her objective in running for Miss Michigan USA 2015 was to help young women and girls boost their confidence and self-esteem. She chose “You’re worth it” as her pageant slogan.
While she did not bring home the crown, Ashley received a $20,000 college scholarship as a top 15 semi-finalist. Ashley indicated that she plans to compete again next year and will start preparing for the Miss Michigan USA 2017 competition.
The Miss Michigan USA competition offers women in the state of Michigan an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to advance their personal and professional goals. The Miss Michigan USA and the Miss Michigan Teen USA pageants awards over one million dollars in college scholarships to the winners, finalists and semi-finalists.
“We are overwhelmed by the response and caliber of all the participants from Michigan,” Melissa Pitchford, Executive Director with the Miss Universe Organization said. “There is not better opportunity for ambitious young women out there today.”
The final competition, which was held at the McMorran Place Entertainment Center consisted of three proportional segments: evening gown, fitness/swimsuit and the final question.
Ashley said, “Michigan USA allowed me to showcase my personality, spirit, beauty, and poise on stage. Representing the city of East Lansing gave me a sense of pride and I would love to do it all over again. Whatever the reason that someone chooses to compete, it’s a confidence builder and a valuable stepping stone towards accomplishing your dreams. I look forward to the opportunities that will reveal themselves through my continued endeavors in pageantry, modeling, and beyond. No matter what comes next, I’ll hold my head high like a queen.”
The winner, Susan Leica of Livonia, also a MSU graduate, claimed the title of Miss Michigan USA 2016 and prizes which includes, travel, wardrobe, college scholarships and most importantly the honor to represent the state of Michigan in the ultimate pageant, Miss USA. Susan was third runner-up in 2011 and a semi-finalist in 2012 but had not competed since then.
She has a chance to represent the United States in the Miss Universe competition. Over 600 million people view the Miss USA and Miss Universe competitions in over 45 countries worldwide.
This article was printed in the October 4, 2015 – October 17, 2015 edition.
