About Miss Illinois 2008

Meet Katie Lorenz, Miss Illinois 2008

Katie Lorenz won the title of Miss Illinois on June 21st, 2008 at the Dellora A. Norris Cultural Arts Center in St. Charles and has spent the past year touring the state on behalf of the Miss America Organization.

To date, Katie has made over 230 appearances for the organization including speaking at 105 schools and to over 30,000 students. While on tour, Katie promotes character education through Character Counts! and the importance of making good decisions. With Children’s Miracle Network, the Miss America Organization’s official platform, she’s helped raise thousands of dollars in addition to making hospital visits, attending black tie fundraisers, and even collecting donations over the air in a Spanish language radiothon! Through her personal platform of Volunteerism, Katie has been able to partner with a number of different non-profit organizations to recruit, inspire, and thank their volunteers.

A graduate of the University of Michigan with a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Spanish, Katie is an MBA candidate at Loyola University’s Graduate School of Business in Chicago specializing in Marketing and International Business. She serves as an English as a Second Language Tutor, Executive Vice President of Loyola’s Graduate School of Business Association, and as a Deputy Registrar for the State of Illinois. Her favorite service accomplishments include granting a “Pimp my Ride” wish with the Make-A-Wish Foundation and working on President Obama’s campaign. Before becoming Miss Illinois, Katie worked full-time in Hispanic Marketing with clients like Cover Girl, DiGiorno Pizza, Jell-O, and Pantene.