Champaign native wins Miss Illinois title in Marion
Khatchaturian receives scholarship, heads to Miss America pageant
submitted by laura taylor
MARION - Grace Khatchaturian, 21, of Champaign, was crowned Miss Illinois Saturday night. She will move on to compete at Miss America in September. This year's Miss America competition will be the first not to have the swimsuit portion of the competition, as announced in early June.
"I'm just so humbled to have competed alongside these women," said Khachaturian. "I cannot wait to go to Miss America and represent Miss Illinois."
Khachaturian, who competed as Miss Capital City, performed a lyrical dance to "You Raise Me Up." She wins $10,000 in scholarships.
"Preparations for Miss America start right away," said Ashley Hatfield, Executive Director of the Miss Illinois Scholarship Organization, and Miss Illinois 2007. "It's an exciting and competitive and intense week, but one that is incredibly rewarding too. Grace is now a part of our Miss America family."
Four additional young women were awarded runner-up positions:
• First Runner-Up, winner of $3,000 scholarship: Isabelle Hanson, Miss Northern Suburbs from Glen Ellyn
• Second Runner-Up, winner of $2,000 scholarship: Grace Etzkorn, Miss Chicago from Chicago
• Third Runner-Up, winner of $1,500 scholarship: Breana Bagley, Miss Heartland from Mt. Zion
• Fourth Runner-Up, winner of $1,200 scholarship: Stephanie Dearwester, Miss Land of Lincoln from Paloma
The Miss America Organization is the nation's leading advocate for women's education and the largest provider of scholarship assistance to young women in the United States, awarding millions of dollars annually in cash awards and in-kind tuition waivers. The Miss Illinois Scholarship Organization celebrates its 90th anniversary this year.
Miss America contestants contribute tens of thousands of community service hours annually and have raised over $15 million for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and Miss America scholarships since 2007.
Learn more about Miss Illinois, a preliminary competition to Miss America, and Miss Illinois' Outstanding Teen by visiting us online at www.missillinois.org.