Former Miss America to emcee Miss UWA Pageant Thursday

Miss America 2013 Mallory Hagan will serve as emcee of the Miss UWA pageant on Jan. 28 at the University of West Alabama. (Contributed Photo)
Miss America 2013 Mallory Hagan will serve as emcee of the Miss UWA pageant on Jan. 28 at the University of West Alabama. (Contributed Photo)

LIVINGSTON, Ala. — The University of West Alabama welcomes Miss America 2013 Mallory Hagan to the University’s campus to emcee the 2016 Miss UWA pageant at Bibb Graves Auditorium on Thursday, Jan. 28 at 7 p.m.

Hagan will perform during the pageant and will also be available immediately following the pageant for photographs and autographs. Prior to the pageant, she will speak to the contestants and will meet with several groups on campus.

A native of Opelika, Ala., Hagan held the coveted title of Miss America 2013. Hagan’s platform was child sexual abuse awareness and prevention. During her reign as Miss America, Hagan traveled more than 20,000 miles per month as the National Ambassador for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and as an advocate for abuse prevention.

For her work in child abuse prevention, Hagan was recognized at the 2013 Forbes Women of the Year Summit. Using the Miss America scholarship dollars she received, Hagan is continuing her undergraduate studies in advertising, marketing, and communications at Fashion Institute of Technology, and she offers consulting for DEFINE, LLC, a personal branding business she began with business partner and friend Claire Buffie. In addition, she produces her own YouTube content and is pursuing work in television hosting.

A self proclaimed “southern girl incognito,” Hagan now resides in New York City.

Miss UWA 2015 Nicole Riley of Bay Minette, Ala., will crown the new titleholder. The winner will represent the University in the 2016 Miss Alabama Pageant, a Miss America preliminary.

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.

Admission to the Miss UWA pageant is free, but seating is limited. For more information on the Miss UWA pageant, contact Jason Gardner at (205) 652-3624, dgardner@uwa.edu.