History
The Miss Wayne County Scholarship Program is proud to be a local affiliate of the Miss Michigan and Miss America Organizations. The Miss America Organization is one of the nation's leading achievement programs and the world's largest provider of scholarship assistance for young women.
Rich in history and social significance, the Miss America Organization is a not-for-profit organization that has maintained a tradition for many decades of empowering American women to achieve their personal and professional goals, while providing a forum in which to express their opinions, talent and intelligence.
Last year, the Miss America Organization and its state and local organizations made available more than $45 million in cash and scholarship assistance.
This assistance is not just for the handful of young women who become Miss America, but is available to the over 12,000 young women who compete in the state and local competitions as well.
Rich in history and social significance, the Miss America Organization is a not-for-profit organization that has maintained a tradition for many decades of empowering American women to achieve their personal and professional goals, while providing a forum in which to express their opinions, talent and intelligence.
Last year, the Miss America Organization and its state and local organizations made available more than $45 million in cash and scholarship assistance.
This assistance is not just for the handful of young women who become Miss America, but is available to the over 12,000 young women who compete in the state and local competitions as well.
About the Miss Wayne County Scholarship Program
Stacey Heisler Mason,
the first Miss Redford
Township, 1991
the first Miss Redford
Township, 1991
The Miss Wayne County Scholarship Program was founded in 1991 by Sheila Sigro. Sheila competed in the Miss America Organizaton on the local level just out of high school. Although she never placed nor won, she found competing to be a very good learning experience. Returning to pageant competition after she married, Sheila won the Mrs. Michigan America title in 1990 and the Mrs. Michigan International title in 1993, ultimately placing fourth runner-up at the Mrs. International Pageant that year.
Noticing that there was no MAO affiliated local in her area, Sheila applied to the Miss Michigan Pageant Board of Directors and was granted the franchise for Wayne County. Since she resided in Redford Township at the time, Sheila called the titleholder Miss Redford Township in honor of the host city. Several years later, the pageant name was changed to Miss Redford Township/Wayne County to reflect the host city and entire franchised area. After moving to another city in the county, the name changed to simply Miss Wayne County to recognize the new sponsors and new location.
Noticing that there was no MAO affiliated local in her area, Sheila applied to the Miss Michigan Pageant Board of Directors and was granted the franchise for Wayne County. Since she resided in Redford Township at the time, Sheila called the titleholder Miss Redford Township in honor of the host city. Several years later, the pageant name was changed to Miss Redford Township/Wayne County to reflect the host city and entire franchised area. After moving to another city in the county, the name changed to simply Miss Wayne County to recognize the new sponsors and new location.
The Miss Wayne County Scholarship Program has been represented by 21 accomplished young women. The pageant's legacy includes the following:
- Six Miss Michigans
- Back-to-back Miss Michigans - twice ('99/'00 & '08/'09)
- Four Miss Wayne Counties who became Miss Michigan while holding another local title
- At Miss Michigan: five preliminary talent awards, one preliminary swimsuit award, two top ten semi-finalists, 11 top five finalists, two community service awards
- At Miss America: two top ten semi-finalists, one finalist and one first runner-up to the Quality of Life award, one preliminary and non-finalist talent winner.
About the Miss America Organization
Margaret Gorman, the first
Miss America, 1921
Miss America, 1921
Developed by the Miss America Organization, the Miss America program exists to provide personal and professional opportunities for young women and to promote their voices in culture, politics and the community. The program provides a forum for today's young women to express their viewpoints, talents and accomplishments to audiences during the telecast and to the public-at-large during the ensuing year. Almost all contestants have either received, or are in the process of earning, college or postgraduate degrees and utilize Miss America scholarship grants to further their educations.
The Miss America Competition began in 1921 as part of an elaborate public festival staged by Atlantic City businessmen to extend the summer tourist season. In succeeding years, the Miss America competition evolved into an American tradition with contestants from each of the states competing every September for the coveted title of Miss America. Early on, the talent competition was made part of the Competition in addition to the original swimsuit segment.
The Miss America Competition began in 1921 as part of an elaborate public festival staged by Atlantic City businessmen to extend the summer tourist season. In succeeding years, the Miss America competition evolved into an American tradition with contestants from each of the states competing every September for the coveted title of Miss America. Early on, the talent competition was made part of the Competition in addition to the original swimsuit segment.
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In the 1980's, a significant stride towards community service was made by the Organization when it began requiring each contestant in the local, state and national competition to embrace a social platform of national significance. As a result, Miss Americas have since become powerful, visible and credible spokeswomen for issues ranging from AIDS awareness and prevention programs to programs in support of homeless veterans. Whereas the Miss Americas of the past may have spent their year of service signing autographs in local drug stores for one of the pageant's sponsors, Miss America today is in great demand as a speaker before legislative bodies, civic and national service organizations and prestigious bodies of the nation's news media such as the National Press Club. Today, on an annual basis, Miss America state and local titleholders, along with the Organization's network of volunteers, participate in more than 12,000 community service projects, providing in excess of 500,000 service hours to worthy causes.
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Mallory Hagan
Miss America 2013 |
Since its inception in 1921, the competition continues to grow and remains rich in history and social significance. Based in Linwood, New Jersey, the Miss America Organization (a not-for-profit organization) provides young women with a vehicle to further their personal and professional goals and instills a spirit of community service through a variety of unique nationwide community-based programs.
