FeedsFormer Plymouth resident eyes Miss America title
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Katie Lorenz, formerly of Plymouth, will compete for the Miss America crown in Las Vegas later this month.As much of western Wayne County will root for Miss Michigan and City of Westland resident Ashlee Baracy this weekend during the 2009 Ms. America Pageant, a large contingent of Plymouth community residents will root for Ms. Illinois.
Katie Lorenz, a 24-year old former Plymouth resident, Plymouth-Canton High School student and University of Michigan graduate is among 51 young women competing for the Miss America crown and thousands in scholarship money on Jan 24 in Las Vegas.
The winner of the competition will spend the next 52 weeks traveling domestically and abroad as a goodwill ambassador and as a participant in various community service and volunteer projects.
“I am so ready to give my life to the Miss America organization for a year,” said Lorenz, who journey to competing in the Miss America Pageant began 17 years ago.
In 1988, Lorenz met then Ms. America and Ms. Michigan Kaye Lani-Rae Rafko.
From that meeting with “the most beautiful woman” she has ever seen Lorenz was inspired to participate in pageants.
“I’ve wanted to be Miss America since I was 7 years old, ” she said.
Lorenz, who moved to Chicago after earning her degree in English and Spanish from the University of Michigan, has already secured a $3,000 scholarship, which she intends to use while completing her MBA from Loyola University in Chicago. She was crowned Miss Illinois last June.
In addition to preparing for the pageant by working with a personal trainer and choreographer and keeping up with current issues, Lorenz along with the other contestants are participating on a reality TV show on TLC, Countdown to the Crown, highlighting the lives of the 52 contestants as they live together and compete challenges. The series appears every Friday throughout the month of January.
Lorenz said she has become close to many of the women who she will compete against for the Ms. America crown, including reuniting with Baracy. According to Lorenz the pair go back to their days of ballet school.
“(The contestants) have become great friends through competing. All of these women are career-driven, intelligent— I find myself rooting for them to win,” she added.
While the crowning of the winner will be televised, many of the preliminary events of the pageant will not as the official week of competition begins on Jan 20. To cheer on their daughter, Scott and Yvonne Lorenz along 60 family and friends will arrive this weekend in Las Vegas.
“We’re just getting organized for the event ourselves,” said Scott Lorenz, who added that whatever happens with the pageant, the family couldn’t be any prouder of their daughter.
“I’m just excited for Katy. This is an exciting moment for our family.”
Yvonne Lorenz said the Plymouth community has shown an immense amount of support for their daughter and hopes it continues through next week.
“Just continue as you have. Watch (the pageant) and send good vibes,” she said.
The reality TV show Countdown to the Crown airs at 10 p.m. Fridays Eastern Time on TLC. The 2009 Ms. America Pageant will air on TLC Jan 24.
Those interested in sending a word of encouragement to Lorenz may send an email to missillinois2008@gmail.com
