Michelle Banzer
Encyclopedia
Michelle Stephanie Banzer (born December 2, 1982) also known as Michelle Zen is a model and beauty queen from Louisville, Kentucky
who competed in the Miss USA
pageant in 2007.
Banzer won the Miss Kentucky USA
2007 title in a state pageant held in Somerset, Kentucky
in November 2006 and was crowned by current Miss USA Tara Conner
, who held the Miss Kentucky USA 2006 title. This was Banzer's fourth attempt at the title, as she was a semi-finalist in the 2004 event, placed first runner-up to Kristen Johnson
in 2005 and third runner-up to Tara Conner
in 2006. Johnson placed second runner-up at Miss USA 2005 and Conner won the Miss USA 2006 title. Banzer is half-Asian
, and the first minority to win this pageant.
Banzer represented Kentucky
in the Miss USA 2007
pageant that was held in the spring of 2007 in the Kodak Theater but failed to place.
Banzer also represented the United States in the 33rd annual Miss Intercontinental Pageant held in China the summer of 2005. She won the title in a competition produced by www.pageantcrown.com. At the international finals, she was named second runner-up to Miss Swimsuit and placed in the top 20. She was also one of three delegates chosen to participate in a special episode of the NBC
game show Identity
to be broadcast prior to the pageant on March 23. It was revealed that Banzer speaks Vietnamese fluently.
She is also known in the import modeling community as Michelle Zen. She does a variety of modeling work including print, commercial, promotional, and some runway. Banzer also competed in events like Miss Hot Import Nights
and Miss Hawaiian Tropic
.
Michelle is also a touring model for the World Poker Tour as one of the Royal Flush Girls.
Banzer is a mixture of Vietnamese
, Chinese
, Mongolian, Russian, German, Cherokee, India
n and Irish
. She is also the second Vietnamese-descent woman after Elyzabeth Pham
. Pham was crowned Miss Wisconsin USA
1999.
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
who competed in the 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...
pageant in 2007.
Banzer won the Miss Kentucky USA
Miss Kentucky USA
The Miss Kentucky USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Kentucky in the Miss USA pageant. The current director for the Miss Kentucky USA and Miss Kentucky Teen USA titles is Connie Clark Harrison. Mrs...
2007 title in a state pageant held in Somerset, Kentucky
Somerset, Kentucky
The major demographic differences between the city and the micropolitan area relate to income, housing composition and age. The micropolitan area, as compared to the incorporated city, is more suburban in flavor and has a significantly younger housing stock, a higher income, and contains most of...
in November 2006 and was crowned by current Miss USA Tara Conner
Tara Conner
Tara Elizabeth Conner is an American beauty queen and model, who was Miss USA 2006 and has also competed in the Miss Teen USA and Miss Universe pageants. Apart from her role as Miss USA, Conner has been employed as a model. She was a featured model on the HDNet series Bikini Fantasies in 2004,...
, who held the Miss Kentucky USA 2006 title. This was Banzer's fourth attempt at the title, as she was a semi-finalist in the 2004 event, placed first runner-up to Kristen Johnson
Kristen Johnson
Kristen Lynn Johnson is a beauty queen who has represented Kentucky at both Miss USA and Miss Teen USA.-Miss Kentucky USA:Before Johnson returned to the USA pageant stage, she competed and won the title Miss Model of Kentucky....
in 2005 and third runner-up to Tara Conner
Tara Conner
Tara Elizabeth Conner is an American beauty queen and model, who was Miss USA 2006 and has also competed in the Miss Teen USA and Miss Universe pageants. Apart from her role as Miss USA, Conner has been employed as a model. She was a featured model on the HDNet series Bikini Fantasies in 2004,...
in 2006. Johnson placed second runner-up at Miss USA 2005 and Conner won the Miss USA 2006 title. Banzer is half-Asian
Asian people
Asian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...
, and the first minority to win this pageant.
Banzer represented Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
in the Miss USA 2007
Miss USA 2007
Miss USA 2007, the 56th Miss USA pageant, was held in Hollywood, California, on March 23, 2007, after two weeks of events and preliminary competition. The winner of the pageant was Rachel Smith, of Tennessee....
pageant that was held in the spring of 2007 in the Kodak Theater but failed to place.
Banzer also represented the United States in the 33rd annual Miss Intercontinental Pageant held in China the summer of 2005. She won the title in a competition produced by www.pageantcrown.com. At the international finals, she was named second runner-up to Miss Swimsuit and placed in the top 20. She was also one of three delegates chosen to participate in a special episode of the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
game show Identity
Identity (game show)
Identity is a reality/game show, hosted by Penn Jillette and produced by Reveille where contestants could win money by matching 12 strangers one-by-one to phrases about their identities.-Format:A contestant is introduced to twelve strangers...
to be broadcast prior to the pageant on March 23. It was revealed that Banzer speaks Vietnamese fluently.
She is also known in the import modeling community as Michelle Zen. She does a variety of modeling work including print, commercial, promotional, and some runway. Banzer also competed in events like Miss Hot Import Nights
Hot Import Nights
Hot Import Nights is an auto show featuring compact and tuner import cars. The show originated in California and has been hosted in various major cities throughout the United States.- The Company:...
and Miss Hawaiian Tropic
Hawaiian Tropic
Hawaiian Tropic is a brand of suntan lotion sold around the world, but more widely available in the United States.The Company was founded by Ron Rice in 1969. It was the largest private manufacturer of sun care products in the United States until being acquired in May 2007 by Playtex Products, Inc...
.
Michelle is also a touring model for the World Poker Tour as one of the Royal Flush Girls.
Banzer is a mixture of Vietnamese
Vietnamese people
The Vietnamese people are an ethnic group originating from present-day northern Vietnam and southern China. They are the majority ethnic group of Vietnam, comprising 86% of the population as of the 1999 census, and are officially known as Kinh to distinguish them from other ethnic groups in Vietnam...
, Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
, Mongolian, Russian, German, Cherokee, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n and Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
. She is also the second Vietnamese-descent woman after Elyzabeth Pham
Elyzabeth Pham
Elyzabeth Pham is a Vietnamese-American beauty queen from Madison, Wisconsin who competed in the Miss USA Pageant.In late 1998, Pham was crowned Miss Wisconsin USA 1999, the first titleholder of Asian descent. She competed in the nationally televised Miss USA Pageant, where she became the first...
. Pham was crowned Miss Wisconsin USA
Miss Wisconsin USA
The Miss Wisconsin USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Wisconsin in the Miss USA pageant. Since 2008 the state pageant has been directed by Future Productions of Savage, Minnesota....
1999.