Katie Stam
Encyclopedia
Katie R. Stam is a beauty queen
from Seymour, Indiana
, crowned Miss America
2009.
member and showed dairy cattle
at the Jackson County
Fair.
She graduated from Seymour High School
and is currently a senior at the University of Indianapolis
studying communications
.
She is a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Seymour, Indiana, where her mother teaches fifth grade at the Lutheran elementary school.
and Miss USA
. According to Pageant.net, Stam made history as the first Hoosier
to win a triple crown in the same pageant system starting at the local, state, and national levels. In 2009, she would tie her own record of a triple crown by winning at the local (Miss Duneland), state (Miss Indiana) and national (Miss America) level.
She returned to the local level in 2005, and won the title Jackson County Jr. Miss, taking home more than $9,000.00 in college scholarships. Following in the footsteps of one of her predecessors, Deven Wayman, Stam became the second young woman from Jackson County to win the Indiana Jr. Miss title and advance to the last televised America's Jr. Miss Scholarship Program. Stam finished the competition as 2nd runner-up, securing another $20,000 in college scholarships.
In November 2007, she won the local Miss Duneland title (Michigan City, Indiana
). She competed in the Miss Indiana
pageant for the first time in June 2008, and was crowned Miss Indiana.
For her state talent she performed "Art is Calling Me."
The series was filmed aboard the berthed RMS Queen Mary
and the surrounding Long Beach, California
, area. Stam won the first round competition, receiving the first gold sash award.
At the conclusion of the series the American viewers voted for four of the eventual 15 gold sash winners. Those four, which included Stam, automatically advanced to be placed in the top 15 finalists in the actual pageant; the other 11 being voted by the pageant judges.
The pageant was broadcast live on TLC from the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino
in Las Vegas, Nevada on January 24, 2009. For her talent she sang "Via Dolorosa
" despite suffering from a throat infection. At the conclusion of the live telecast, Stam was crowned the 84th Miss America
. She succeeds Kirsten Haglund
of Farmington Hills, Michigan
, and is Indiana's first Miss America.
Her platform is "Passion for Service: Promoting Community Service and Involvement." On Thanksgiving Day 2009, Stam served food to hundreds of men and women at the New York Rescue Mission, a homeless shelter in the New York City
area. While there, she wore an apron and cap.
Beauty contest
A beauty pageant or beauty contest, is a competition that mainly focuses on the physical beauty of its contestants, although such contests often incorporate personality, talent, and answers to judges' questions as judged criteria...
from Seymour, Indiana
Seymour, Indiana
Seymour was the site of the World's First Train Robbery, committed by the local Reno Gang, on October 6, 1866 just east of town. The gang was put into prison for the robbery, and later hanged at Hangman's Crossing outside of town....
, crowned Miss America
Miss America
The Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
2009.
Biography
Growing up, Stam was a 4-H4-H
4-H in the United States is a youth organization administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture of the United States Department of Agriculture , with the mission of "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development." The name represents...
member and showed dairy cattle
Dairy cattle
Dairy cattle are cattle cows bred for the ability to produce large quantities of milk, from which dairy products are made. Dairy cows generally are of the species Bos taurus....
at the Jackson County
Jackson County, Indiana
Jackson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population was 42,376. The county seat is Brownstown.-History:...
Fair.
She graduated from Seymour High School
Seymour High School (Indiana)
Seymour High School is a secondary school in Indiana.-History:Prior to 1870 an iron fence separated a tract of forest land from the growing town of Seymour. In that year the tree-covered plot was leased by the town school board and work began on a three-story brick building facing the east...
and is currently a senior at the University of Indianapolis
University of Indianapolis
The University of Indianapolis is a university located in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, and affiliated with the United Methodist Church. The shortened name it uses is UIndy...
studying communications
Communication studies
Communication Studies is an academic field that deals with processes of communication, commonly defined as the sharing of symbols over distances in space and time. Hence, communication studies encompasses a wide range of topics and contexts ranging from face-to-face conversation to speeches to mass...
.
She is a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Seymour, Indiana, where her mother teaches fifth grade at the Lutheran elementary school.
Pageants
Stam entered and won her first pageant at the age of 15. After winning the title Teen Jackson County she advanced to the Kentuckiana Pageant. She won the overall Kentuckiana title (a title won by several successful pageant winners) and advanced and won the national pageant and edging out first runner-up, Amber Seyer, who went on to compete in Miss Teen USAMiss Teen USA
Miss Teen USA is a beauty pageant run by the Miss Universe Organization for girls aged 14–19. The reigning titleholder is Danielle Doty of Texas....
and Miss USA
Miss USA
The Miss USA beauty contest has been held annually since 1952 to select the United States entrant in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operates both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA...
. According to Pageant.net, Stam made history as the first Hoosier
Hoosier
Hoosier is the official demonym for a resident of the U.S. state of Indiana. Although residents of most U.S. states typically adopt a derivative of the state name, e.g., "Indianan" or "Indianian", natives of Indiana rarely use these. Indiana adopted the nickname "Hoosier State" more than 150...
to win a triple crown in the same pageant system starting at the local, state, and national levels. In 2009, she would tie her own record of a triple crown by winning at the local (Miss Duneland), state (Miss Indiana) and national (Miss America) level.
She returned to the local level in 2005, and won the title Jackson County Jr. Miss, taking home more than $9,000.00 in college scholarships. Following in the footsteps of one of her predecessors, Deven Wayman, Stam became the second young woman from Jackson County to win the Indiana Jr. Miss title and advance to the last televised America's Jr. Miss Scholarship Program. Stam finished the competition as 2nd runner-up, securing another $20,000 in college scholarships.
In November 2007, she won the local Miss Duneland title (Michigan City, Indiana
Michigan City, Indiana
Michigan City's origins date to 1830, when the land for the city was first purchased by Isaac C. Elston. Elston Middle School, formerly Elston High School, located at 317 Detroit St., is named after the founder....
). She competed in the Miss Indiana
Miss Indiana
The Miss Indiana competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Indiana in the Miss America pageant.- Winners :- External links :*...
pageant for the first time in June 2008, and was crowned Miss Indiana.
For her state talent she performed "Art is Calling Me."
Precompetition reality show
She and the other 52 contestants participated in TLC's reality competition show Miss America: Countdown to the Crown which aired in the weeks prior to the pageant show.The series was filmed aboard the berthed RMS Queen Mary
RMS Queen Mary
RMS Queen Mary is a retired ocean liner that sailed primarily in the North Atlantic Ocean from 1936 to 1967 for the Cunard Line...
and the surrounding Long Beach, California
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
, area. Stam won the first round competition, receiving the first gold sash award.
At the conclusion of the series the American viewers voted for four of the eventual 15 gold sash winners. Those four, which included Stam, automatically advanced to be placed in the top 15 finalists in the actual pageant; the other 11 being voted by the pageant judges.
Competition
On the Tuesday night prior to the pageant Stam won a preliminary swimsuit award becoming her state's first preliminary swimsuit winner since 1994.The pageant was broadcast live on TLC from the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino
Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino
Planet Hollywood Las Vegas, previously known as The Aladdin, is a casino resort on the Las Vegas Strip, in the unincorporated locale of Paradise, Nevada, United States. Westgate Resorts operates the condo portion of the property, known as PH Towers by Westgate.Planet Hollywood is owned by Caesars...
in Las Vegas, Nevada on January 24, 2009. For her talent she sang "Via Dolorosa
Via Dolorosa
The Via Dolorosa is a street, in two parts, within the Old City of Jerusalem, held to be the path that Jesus walked, carrying his cross, on the way to his crucifixion. The current route has been established since the 18th century, replacing various earlier versions...
" despite suffering from a throat infection. At the conclusion of the live telecast, Stam was crowned the 84th Miss America
Miss America
The Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
. She succeeds Kirsten Haglund
Kirsten Haglund
Kirsten Lora Haglund is a beauty queen from Farmington Hills, Michigan who was Miss America 2008.-Biography:Haglund graduated from Walled Lake Western High School in 2006 and spent one year pursuing a BFA in Musical Theatre at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music in...
of Farmington Hills, Michigan
Farmington Hills, Michigan
Farmington Hills is a community in southeastern Michigan. It is the largest city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Its population was 79,740 at the 2010 census...
, and is Indiana's first Miss America.
Her platform is "Passion for Service: Promoting Community Service and Involvement." On Thanksgiving Day 2009, Stam served food to hundreds of men and women at the New York Rescue Mission, a homeless shelter in the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
area. While there, she wore an apron and cap.