Ten women will compete for the 37th annual Miss OCU title.
Miss OCU 2017 Camryn Sanders will pass on her crown to the next winner at the 2018 Miss OCU and OCU’s Outstanding Teen Pageant at 6 p.m. Oct. 21 in Kirkpatrick Auditorium in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center.
The winner will receive a full year of tuition, a crown and sash, a wardrobe budget, a personal trainer, a photo shoot, and entry into the Miss Oklahoma pageant in June.
The winner additionally must mentor Miss Teen OCU and Rising Star, the winners of two pageants done through the university for prospective students.
The runner-up receives half tuition for two semesters.
The contestants are
- Maggie Bond, vocal performance/economics senior;
- Cerena Chaney, dance education sophomore;
- Chandler Hardy, economics senior;
- Ashtyn Lehman, theater and performance freshman;
- Maddie Louder, dance sophomore;
- Kaiden Maines, acting sophomore;
- Kenzie McIntyre, music theater sophomore;
- Sydney Nelson, second-year law;
- Ashleigh Robinson, music theater junior, and
- Taylor Towers, music theater senior.
Sanders said she loved being Miss OCU 2017 and competing for Miss Oklahoma, where she was a community service finalist.
“I got more interview experience, scholarship money and connections for my platform, The Storybook Exchange, which allows me to give away 30,000 books this year,” she said.
At this year’s pageant, Sanders will ask the onstage questions, show her farewell video and sing “I Put a Spell on You,” which she performed for her Miss Oklahoma pageant talent.
Bond will compete for the Miss OCU title for the third time this year. The pageant is on her birthday, and she said she is excited to use the knowledge she gained in previous years.
“I adore the Miss America organization,” she said. “I love what it stands for and how it challenges me to consistently be the best version of myself. I will be returning next year to finish my business degree, and it would be really helpful to win that scholarship to help offset those costs. Plus, it would be an honor to represent my school, my home away from home, at Miss Oklahoma.”
Hardy has competed in pageants since she was 13, but will compete for the Miss OCU title for the first time this year.
“In previous years, I won a local title before Miss OCU, so I was ineligible to compete,” she said. “This year, I wanted to wait and see if it was in the cards for me to compete and win.”
Hardy’s late grandfather, Roy Chandler, graduated from OCU and served the university as a trustee and benefactor.
“My grandfather was my role model, and he left a legacy here,” Hardy said. “It would be an honor to win the title and leave a little piece of myself behind as well.”
Both Bond and Hardy said they are preparing for the pageant by practicing their talents, working out, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and keeping up-to-date with recent news.
Tickets can only be purchased at the door or from pageant contestants directly. Admission costs $15 for students and $20 for everyone else at the door. Tickets purchased directly from pageant competitors cost $10.
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