Ashley Ruth Wheeler was crowned Miss Vermont

Miss Vermont

The Miss Vermont competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Vermont in the Miss America pageant. Vermont is the only state to have never had a contestant advance to the semi-finals of the Miss America Pageant, though their representatives have won numerous...

 2008 on Saturday, April 26, 2008 in Barre, Vermont.

Personal Life

Wheeler was born in St. Johnsbury, VT to Michael & Donna Ellsworth Wheeler. She grew up in Lyndonville, Vermont

Lyndonville, Vermont

Lyndonville is a village in the town of Lyndon, in Caledonia County, Vermont, United States. Lyndonville's population was 1,227 at the 2000 census.-History:...

.

Miss America

Her vocal talent was singing "The Prayer." Ashley's platform is Political Awareness Among Young Voters. She was competing for the title of Miss America 2009

Miss America 2009

Miss America 2009, the 88th Miss America pageant, was held on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada on January 24, 2009. The winner was Katie Stam from Indiana....

 in Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...

 in January and she won a Preliminary Talent Award for her a cappella vocal performance of "God Bless America

God Bless America

"God Bless America" is an American patriotic song written by Irving Berlin in 1918 and revised by him in 1938. The later version has notably been recorded by Kate Smith, becoming her signature song ....

." This marked the first time a representative of the state of Vermont won a preliminary award at the Miss America Pageant.

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