About Miss Illinois

Hannah Smith

Hometown
Huntley, Illinois

Education
Northern Illinois University – junior – Bachelor of Fine Arts
McHenry County College
Huntley High School

Platform Issue
Distracted Driving . . . FOCUS!

Scholastic/Career Ambition
Obtain Bachelor’s Degrees in Dance Performance & Business

Talent
Dance en Pointe / “Palladio”

Scholastic Honors
National Honor Society; 4-year Honor Program student; Member of The Fellowship of Christian Athletes; Ambassador to the 2008 Fox Valley Leadership Conference; Silver Cord recipient upon graduation; Two year recipient of the MCC Promise Program Scholarship; Recipient of the 2011-2012 NIU Rene LeBeau Dance Scholarship.

Leadership Roles
Dance instructor at BFSD for 5 years; Spokesperson for “ Distracted Driving” State Farm safe driving initiative in conjunction with the Illinois Secretary of State’s office; Triple Threat Mentor to Illinois students; Spokesperson for Character Counts Program; Mentor for Huntley High School Link Crew Freshman Mentoring Program; Secretary of The National Honor Society; Vacation Bible School leader; Dance Force Mini Poms coach.

Accomplishments
Accepted and danced with the American Ballet Theatre Summer Intensive; Invited to dance with Joffrey Ballet New York Summer Intensive; Dance Scholarship recipient from Northern Illinois University 2009 and 2011; Danced the lead role of Cinderella in the ballet Cinderella and the Sugar Plum Fairy in the Nutcracker Ballet; choreographer and dancer for Dance Chicago 2010; 5-year member of 4-H; Recipient of the Awana Citation Award.

Interesting Facts
I was selected to perform a solo piece for Prima Ballerina Maria Tallchief; although my family is not Swedish, I have six cousins who were born and raised in Sweden; every member of my family is red headed, including our dogs.

Employment
Dance Instructor at Beth Fowler School of Dance in Genoa and St. Charles

How has the world you come from shape your dreams and aspirations?
My parents have always taught me the importance of being a disciplined and a focused person. The art of dance instills the values of self discipline, etiquette, teamwork and dedication to reaching my goals. Dance brings artistry and culture into our society, and while I value that aspect of dance, the life skills I have learned through dance have had the greatest impact on my life. My pursuit of a business degree has brought me one step closer to my goal of owning my own business. Someday I hope to utilize my love of dance through my studio to encourage my students to implement a healthy, nutritious lifestyle.

Of all the ways you could succeed in your life, why have you chosen to succeed in the Miss America Pageant?
I have always thought of myself as an advocate of the cultural arts and am often referred to as Hannah “the dancer”. I see the Miss America Program as an organization that gives women the opportunity to not only further their talent, but, most importantly, to give them a voice to bring about positive change in society.

What social issue, other than your platform will have the greatest impact on your generation and why?
Influence of the media. Our society often succumbs to the temptation to emulate what they see in magazines or portrayed on television. Although we cannot eliminate negative influence by the media, we can take steps to encourage positive role modeling through organizations such as Miss America.

Illinois Traffic Safety Challenge

Miss Illinois, Hannah Smith, gives keynote address at ITSC awards ceremony.

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