Ashley Bickford Interview
Miss Connecticut Teen USA 2002, top 10 @ Miss Teen USA 2002
Miss Rhode Island 2007 & preliminary swimsuit winner @ Miss America 2008
Miss Connecticut USA 2010
*interview was done prior to Ashley's Miss CT USA title.
Why did you decide to compete in the Miss Connecticut Teen USA pageant?
I watched Miss Teen USA, Miss USA and Miss America in for as long as I could remember. One year during the telecast while I was in my mid-teens I was watching the girls compete and thought to myself, wow, these girls are pretty much just like me. They were the same age, participated in the similar activities and liked the same things as me. I saw all the life changing benefits in terms of education, career and travel that they were gaining out of their participation and thought that I at least had to try myself because otherwise I would never know if I could have those things happen to me too. It shortly there after I broke the news to my mom that I intended on competing the following year and she was surprised, but very supportive. Before I knew it, I was on the Miss Connecticut Teen USA stage with my lip quivering because I was so incredibly nervous…. but I won! Literally a year after I sat in my living room saying to myself maybe someday I could be on the Miss Teen USA stage, I actually was!
What would be your first thought when you were called into the top 10 at Miss Teen USA?
I just remember sheer elation. It was a pretty thrilling and surreal moment but quickly there after we went into commercial break I snapped into business because I was still competing at that point and there was work to be done! I never doubted myself, but it was really nice to show everyone else that CT could still place even though they hadn't in quite a few years prior to that.
What would be your most memorable moment as Miss Connecticut Teen USA?
There were many wonderful moments, but getting called into the Top Ten live on national television and eventually placing 6th overall would be the most memorable. Connecticut has only placed twice in the history of Miss Teen USA and hadn’t done it for ten years prior to my year, so being able to bring national recognition to the state made me extremely proud.
What was going through your head when you were announced as the new Miss Rhode Island?
When I won Miss Rhode Island, I remember I was so nervous all I could do was stare down at the stage waiting for the moment of the big announcement. I had at that point won the Dance Award, Lifestyle and Fitness, Presence and Poise and Interview preliminary awards so I knew I had a good chance. In fact, the prior year I won the exact same preliminaries except for the Interview Award and didn't take home the title. I told myself somehow if this year I could win the Interview Award I could win the crown. Sometimes competitions are a funny thing and I have gone home my fair share of times without the big prize so I know better than anyone, its not over till its over. When my name was finally called it was the biggest since of relief. I do remember reaching up to actually feel the crown on my head to make sure it was really happening. The next thing I said was "I'm going to Vegas!" to my family in the audience. It was amazing to finally achieve a goal three years in the making like Miss Rhode Island was for me.
Tell us about the platform you used during your reign as Miss Rhode Island, “The kNOw HIV/AIDS”.
The kNOw HIV/AIDS Campaign is a program designed to eradicate HIV/AIDS from all fronts. The main components of the campaign are to Know, Prevent, Care and Cure, therefore presenting an all angles front against this worldwide pandemic. It provides elements of education, prevention, care and research for a cure.
What would be your first thought when you were announced as a preliminary swimsuit winner at Miss America?
I always have so much fun during the swimsuit competition. I think that area of competition might be tied with evening gown as my favorite. I may not have the perfect body, but its mine, and I am confident about myself and I think that always shows though. It was really exciting to get called for the swimsuit award and humbling as well. Competing at Miss America allowed me to stand among some of the greatest women I have ever met. Just being there would have been enough for me, but being recognized with a preliminary competition award was just the icing on the cake.
What would be your most memorable moment at Miss America?
During the second night of preliminaries, the Miss America Organization decided to give the first ever Miss Photogenic award. No one had any idea that they were even having that award that year, so it was to my biggest surprise that my name was called as the winner! Rhode Island may be the smallest state, but they are not to be forgotten, and to this day I am proud to have been the first to ever receive that award.
You placed as the 1st runner up in last year’s Miss Connecticut USA pageant. Will you be competing again this year?
I have always thought my natural style was more geared toward Miss USA and there has hasn’t been a triple crown winner in some time. Let’s just say I have thought seriously about it, but you’ll just have to wait and see!
Lastly, what have you been up to since your reign as Miss Rhode Island ended?
I graduated with my Master’s Degree in Business Administration and accepted a position with a “Big 4” International Accounting firm. I recently completed my first year at the firm which has been challenging to say the least, but a rewarding adventure to finally be out starting a successful career. I have also continued modeling, doing print and runway work. I also got into television hosting. My show is called “Northeast Adventures” and it is an adventure sports show broadcast on the Cox Sports channel. I am still active in volunteer work designing an education program for my non-profit, the Global Women’s Micro-Finance Coalition Inc. I also recently accepted a position on the Audit and Finance Committee for the Hope Funds for Cancer Research, a phenomenal organization that supports the nation’s best doctors on brink of discovering new cancer treatments and someday soon a cure!
Why did you decide to compete in the Miss Connecticut Teen USA pageant?
I watched Miss Teen USA, Miss USA and Miss America in for as long as I could remember. One year during the telecast while I was in my mid-teens I was watching the girls compete and thought to myself, wow, these girls are pretty much just like me. They were the same age, participated in the similar activities and liked the same things as me. I saw all the life changing benefits in terms of education, career and travel that they were gaining out of their participation and thought that I at least had to try myself because otherwise I would never know if I could have those things happen to me too. It shortly there after I broke the news to my mom that I intended on competing the following year and she was surprised, but very supportive. Before I knew it, I was on the Miss Connecticut Teen USA stage with my lip quivering because I was so incredibly nervous…. but I won! Literally a year after I sat in my living room saying to myself maybe someday I could be on the Miss Teen USA stage, I actually was!
What would be your first thought when you were called into the top 10 at Miss Teen USA?
I just remember sheer elation. It was a pretty thrilling and surreal moment but quickly there after we went into commercial break I snapped into business because I was still competing at that point and there was work to be done! I never doubted myself, but it was really nice to show everyone else that CT could still place even though they hadn't in quite a few years prior to that.
What would be your most memorable moment as Miss Connecticut Teen USA?
There were many wonderful moments, but getting called into the Top Ten live on national television and eventually placing 6th overall would be the most memorable. Connecticut has only placed twice in the history of Miss Teen USA and hadn’t done it for ten years prior to my year, so being able to bring national recognition to the state made me extremely proud.
What was going through your head when you were announced as the new Miss Rhode Island?
When I won Miss Rhode Island, I remember I was so nervous all I could do was stare down at the stage waiting for the moment of the big announcement. I had at that point won the Dance Award, Lifestyle and Fitness, Presence and Poise and Interview preliminary awards so I knew I had a good chance. In fact, the prior year I won the exact same preliminaries except for the Interview Award and didn't take home the title. I told myself somehow if this year I could win the Interview Award I could win the crown. Sometimes competitions are a funny thing and I have gone home my fair share of times without the big prize so I know better than anyone, its not over till its over. When my name was finally called it was the biggest since of relief. I do remember reaching up to actually feel the crown on my head to make sure it was really happening. The next thing I said was "I'm going to Vegas!" to my family in the audience. It was amazing to finally achieve a goal three years in the making like Miss Rhode Island was for me.
Tell us about the platform you used during your reign as Miss Rhode Island, “The kNOw HIV/AIDS”.
The kNOw HIV/AIDS Campaign is a program designed to eradicate HIV/AIDS from all fronts. The main components of the campaign are to Know, Prevent, Care and Cure, therefore presenting an all angles front against this worldwide pandemic. It provides elements of education, prevention, care and research for a cure.
What would be your first thought when you were announced as a preliminary swimsuit winner at Miss America?
I always have so much fun during the swimsuit competition. I think that area of competition might be tied with evening gown as my favorite. I may not have the perfect body, but its mine, and I am confident about myself and I think that always shows though. It was really exciting to get called for the swimsuit award and humbling as well. Competing at Miss America allowed me to stand among some of the greatest women I have ever met. Just being there would have been enough for me, but being recognized with a preliminary competition award was just the icing on the cake.
What would be your most memorable moment at Miss America?
During the second night of preliminaries, the Miss America Organization decided to give the first ever Miss Photogenic award. No one had any idea that they were even having that award that year, so it was to my biggest surprise that my name was called as the winner! Rhode Island may be the smallest state, but they are not to be forgotten, and to this day I am proud to have been the first to ever receive that award.
You placed as the 1st runner up in last year’s Miss Connecticut USA pageant. Will you be competing again this year?
I have always thought my natural style was more geared toward Miss USA and there has hasn’t been a triple crown winner in some time. Let’s just say I have thought seriously about it, but you’ll just have to wait and see!
Lastly, what have you been up to since your reign as Miss Rhode Island ended?
I graduated with my Master’s Degree in Business Administration and accepted a position with a “Big 4” International Accounting firm. I recently completed my first year at the firm which has been challenging to say the least, but a rewarding adventure to finally be out starting a successful career. I have also continued modeling, doing print and runway work. I also got into television hosting. My show is called “Northeast Adventures” and it is an adventure sports show broadcast on the Cox Sports channel. I am still active in volunteer work designing an education program for my non-profit, the Global Women’s Micro-Finance Coalition Inc. I also recently accepted a position on the Audit and Finance Committee for the Hope Funds for Cancer Research, a phenomenal organization that supports the nation’s best doctors on brink of discovering new cancer treatments and someday soon a cure!