Nicole Rash
Miss Indiana 2007 (1st runner up to Miss America 2008) & Ms. America 2012
Why did you decide to compete in the Miss Ball State University pageant?
I decided to compete in this local pageant for the Miss America system, back in 2007, because I was attending Ball State University at the time and I really wanted the opportunity to represent my school at the Miss Indiana Pageant if I were to win. I was very proud to be attending Ball State and still think it is a great school, having recently graduated from there, Magna Cum Laude, with a degree in Spanish. I encourage anyone that I meet that is considering attending BSU to visit the beautiful campus and see what amazing opportunities it has to offer.
Tell us about your platform, "Breathe Easy - Keeping our Youth Smoke and Tobacco Free"
I created and became involved with this platform while I was Miss Indiana in 2007 and 2008 because of an opportunity I was presented with to speak in schools through the “Right Decisions, Right Now” program. This program encourages our youth to make good decisions, set goals for themselves, and remain smoke & tobacco free, and I was able to speak to over 25,000 students about these topics. I really saw the positive impact that I was making on the lives of these young adults, and since I have lost 3 family members to smoking related diseases I thought if I could just convince one person not to start smoking or even stop smoking, it would be worth it to me. I don’t want anyone else’s family to be devastated by the harmful effects of tobacco products like mine has been.
Since my experiences as Miss Indiana, and now that I am Ms. America 2012, I have gone beyond just speaking to kids about the known harmful effects and why they shouldn’t smoke, and have dedicated much of my time and studies researching the other harmful effects of tobacco products on non-smokers in smoking establishments, workers in smoking establishments, and more. I have also done a lot of research on the positive effects of smoking bans and have talked with businesses, lawmakers, and city councils about why their cities and states should go smoke-free. I even have a slide show that people can download and present at various events themselves on behalf of non-smokers rights which can be found on my website.
Tell us about your experience on the reality show “Miss America: Reality Check”.
“Miss America: Reality Check” was the reality television show that TLC put together for all of the contestants of the 2008 Miss America Pageant. The show was based around changing the image of Miss America to a more positive and relatable role model for young women as some people expressed that they thought Miss America was dated or no longer relevant. All of the contestants were split into teams based on their different characteristics from “Always a Bridesmaid Never a Bride – States that Runner-up to Miss America but have yet to win,” to “The Winningest Combination – Brown Hair & Brown Eyes has won the most Miss America crowns” and we competed against each other in a variety of challenges from physical fitness to geography. Then, at the end of each episode, 3 celebrity judges/advisors would choose the “Top 3,” for the girls that were displaying the best attitude towards making a positive change, and a “Bottom 3,” for the girls that seemed least willing to change or perhaps not displaying the best attitude.
It was a very interesting experience since I had never been involved in reality television before. All of the contestants for Miss America that year traveled to California to film, actually in the same house that “The Biggest Loser” is filmed in, for 9 days, and we all lived together in the house with no television, no internet, no music, etc. and shared 3 showers between 52 girls. For the most part, however, it was very positive, we all had a lot of fun working together on our teams, overcoming the challenges, and learning how to be the best Miss America hopeful possible. It wasn’t without some interesting mixing of personalities, of course, but I really enjoyed the experience and had a great time watching the show with family and friends during the weeks before Miss America. At the end of the show they even chose an overall “Top 3” that won scholarship money and prizes and I was lucky enough to be chosen as one of the winners! That was really the hardest part - keeping the secret, that I had won, for a few months before the show aired. And, even though the show & show’s judges had no bearing on what would happen at the actual Miss America Pageant, I was still really proud to represent my state in the show and do so well.
What would be your first thoughts when you made the top 16 and then called as the 1st runner up at Miss America?
I was admittedly very nervous for the final night of Miss America. You never know what the judges are thinking and I didn’t win any preliminary awards so I was just praying that I would at least make the top 16 so that all of my family and friends that had traveled to Las Vegas to see me wouldn’t have wasted their time. So, when I was called into the top 16… I was ecstatic, because I knew that I would at least be able to compete in one competition on the final night. Once that happened, the nerves started to fade and I was just focusing on doing the best I could in that moment. I was confident that I would have made an amazing Miss America, but God had a different plan for me and I’ve accepted that. Being named 1st runner-up was such a blessing and a great honor that I will always cherish.
What would be your most memorable moment as Miss Indiana?
I had so many memorable moments as Miss Indiana from speaking at the schools, to visiting Riley’s Children’s Hospital, to all of the fun festivals, parades, and other pageants that I was honored with being a part of so it is very difficult to choose just one.
It was definitely a great moment visiting my former Junior High and Elementary School to speak to the kids there, read to them in the library, and sign autographs afterwards. My cousins still attended those schools when I visited, and it’s amazing how desperate kids are sometimes for a role model or a local hero to make them believe that they can truly do anything they put their mind to.
Seeing the smiles that I put on the faces of the patients and families at Riley’s Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis was also very memorable. The thought that I had brought a little bit of joy and excitement into the lives of these amazing people that have gone through so much made me so grateful for all the blessings I have.
Finally, my first appearance as Miss Indiana and my last moments as Miss Indiana will always stay with me. My first appearance was at the Indianapolis Zoo and I was able to be a part of the dolphin show and even helped an elephant paint a painting so that was really amazing. My final moments on stage at the 2008 Miss Indiana Pageant, looking back at my year of service, all the lives I had touched, and all the people who had affected me made me very emotional. Then, crowning Katie Stam who would later go on to become the very first Miss America from Indiana was just awe-inspiring.
The Miss America Pageant truly changes your life, even if you don’t win a national, state, or even local title. The people you meet, the lessons you learn, and the experiences you gain through this program, and even other pageant programs, are completely worth it and they will surprise you how useful they are later in life as well.
Lastly, what have you been up to since your reign as Miss Indiana ended?
Since I gave up my title as Miss Indiana 2007, I have been keeping myself pretty busy! I moved to California to pursue a career in modeling and acting and was met with a lot of success in both. I modeled on the runway for L.A. Fashion Week, was in magazines such as “The Knot” Bridal Magazine and LA Weekly, was in commercials for companies such as Nokia, and appeared in advertisements for Maggie Sottero Bridal, Gold’s Gym apparel, and JOICO hair products among others. I also worked as a corporate spokesperson for 3 years for companies such as Porsche Cars North America, Lincoln Vehicles, and the Chrysler Group LLC for auto shows and special events which took me throughout the U.S. and even to Europe! (I actually got my first corporate spokesperson job thanks to a pageant photographer that connected me with the company because they like hiring pageant girls for their speaking skills!) In acting, I was accepted into the prestigious comedy school “The Groundlings” and was seen in several small films, commercials, and in plays throughout L.A. I even landed a small role in the Lionsgate feature film “Warrior” that was released in September 2011.
After a few years in L.A., I decided that the Hollywood lifestyle wasn’t for me and returned to Ball State University to complete my bachelor’s degree. I was able to graduate Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Spanish in May of this year, thanks in large part to my Miss America scholarships. Moving back to Indiana also led me to meet my very soon-to-be husband! We met last year before I went back to school and are getting married on September 15th of this year! We moved to Dallas after I finished school but have since moved to Saint Louis due to a job transfer and have enjoyed being back in the mid-west and closer to family.
My pageant path since Miss Indiana didn’t involve much while living in California since I was mostly focusing on my career in the entertainment industry. However, once I moved to Saint Louis, I was given the opportunity to represent Missouri in the Ms. America Pageant and I won the title of Ms. America 2012 this past April! As Ms. America 2012, I have continued to be involved with my platform, “Breathe Easy,” and the pageant’s national platform, The Guard a Heart Foundation – helping prevent heart disease. I travel to California for appearances with the Guard a Heart Foundation and other sponsors, I volunteer at the Saint Louis Children’s Hospital, I have been in several parades including the Veiled Prophet 4th of July Parade in Saint Louis, and I was interviewed on many different television and radio programs.
I have also judged many different pageants including the Miss Virginia Pageant (preliminary to Miss America), many local/preliminary pageants to Miss Indiana, and the national pageant for the Dream Girls USA system, and have started coaching young women in public speaking, interview, and modeling for pageants. My new company is called “Royal Transformations LLC” and I plan on a full launch after I return from my honeymoon in October!
To find out more about me, my platform, and my professional and/or pageant careers, please visit my website: www.nicolerash.com
The Ms. America Pageant is for women ages 27 and up who are either single, married, divorced, or widowed and with or without children, and the phases of competition are interview, sportswear, evening gown, and on-stage question. To find out more about competing in the Ms. America Pageant, you can go on their website at www.msamericapageant.com or find us on facebook and twitter!
Thanks for all the continued support that everyone has shown me throughout the years. God bless you all!
I decided to compete in this local pageant for the Miss America system, back in 2007, because I was attending Ball State University at the time and I really wanted the opportunity to represent my school at the Miss Indiana Pageant if I were to win. I was very proud to be attending Ball State and still think it is a great school, having recently graduated from there, Magna Cum Laude, with a degree in Spanish. I encourage anyone that I meet that is considering attending BSU to visit the beautiful campus and see what amazing opportunities it has to offer.
Tell us about your platform, "Breathe Easy - Keeping our Youth Smoke and Tobacco Free"
I created and became involved with this platform while I was Miss Indiana in 2007 and 2008 because of an opportunity I was presented with to speak in schools through the “Right Decisions, Right Now” program. This program encourages our youth to make good decisions, set goals for themselves, and remain smoke & tobacco free, and I was able to speak to over 25,000 students about these topics. I really saw the positive impact that I was making on the lives of these young adults, and since I have lost 3 family members to smoking related diseases I thought if I could just convince one person not to start smoking or even stop smoking, it would be worth it to me. I don’t want anyone else’s family to be devastated by the harmful effects of tobacco products like mine has been.
Since my experiences as Miss Indiana, and now that I am Ms. America 2012, I have gone beyond just speaking to kids about the known harmful effects and why they shouldn’t smoke, and have dedicated much of my time and studies researching the other harmful effects of tobacco products on non-smokers in smoking establishments, workers in smoking establishments, and more. I have also done a lot of research on the positive effects of smoking bans and have talked with businesses, lawmakers, and city councils about why their cities and states should go smoke-free. I even have a slide show that people can download and present at various events themselves on behalf of non-smokers rights which can be found on my website.
Tell us about your experience on the reality show “Miss America: Reality Check”.
“Miss America: Reality Check” was the reality television show that TLC put together for all of the contestants of the 2008 Miss America Pageant. The show was based around changing the image of Miss America to a more positive and relatable role model for young women as some people expressed that they thought Miss America was dated or no longer relevant. All of the contestants were split into teams based on their different characteristics from “Always a Bridesmaid Never a Bride – States that Runner-up to Miss America but have yet to win,” to “The Winningest Combination – Brown Hair & Brown Eyes has won the most Miss America crowns” and we competed against each other in a variety of challenges from physical fitness to geography. Then, at the end of each episode, 3 celebrity judges/advisors would choose the “Top 3,” for the girls that were displaying the best attitude towards making a positive change, and a “Bottom 3,” for the girls that seemed least willing to change or perhaps not displaying the best attitude.
It was a very interesting experience since I had never been involved in reality television before. All of the contestants for Miss America that year traveled to California to film, actually in the same house that “The Biggest Loser” is filmed in, for 9 days, and we all lived together in the house with no television, no internet, no music, etc. and shared 3 showers between 52 girls. For the most part, however, it was very positive, we all had a lot of fun working together on our teams, overcoming the challenges, and learning how to be the best Miss America hopeful possible. It wasn’t without some interesting mixing of personalities, of course, but I really enjoyed the experience and had a great time watching the show with family and friends during the weeks before Miss America. At the end of the show they even chose an overall “Top 3” that won scholarship money and prizes and I was lucky enough to be chosen as one of the winners! That was really the hardest part - keeping the secret, that I had won, for a few months before the show aired. And, even though the show & show’s judges had no bearing on what would happen at the actual Miss America Pageant, I was still really proud to represent my state in the show and do so well.
What would be your first thoughts when you made the top 16 and then called as the 1st runner up at Miss America?
I was admittedly very nervous for the final night of Miss America. You never know what the judges are thinking and I didn’t win any preliminary awards so I was just praying that I would at least make the top 16 so that all of my family and friends that had traveled to Las Vegas to see me wouldn’t have wasted their time. So, when I was called into the top 16… I was ecstatic, because I knew that I would at least be able to compete in one competition on the final night. Once that happened, the nerves started to fade and I was just focusing on doing the best I could in that moment. I was confident that I would have made an amazing Miss America, but God had a different plan for me and I’ve accepted that. Being named 1st runner-up was such a blessing and a great honor that I will always cherish.
What would be your most memorable moment as Miss Indiana?
I had so many memorable moments as Miss Indiana from speaking at the schools, to visiting Riley’s Children’s Hospital, to all of the fun festivals, parades, and other pageants that I was honored with being a part of so it is very difficult to choose just one.
It was definitely a great moment visiting my former Junior High and Elementary School to speak to the kids there, read to them in the library, and sign autographs afterwards. My cousins still attended those schools when I visited, and it’s amazing how desperate kids are sometimes for a role model or a local hero to make them believe that they can truly do anything they put their mind to.
Seeing the smiles that I put on the faces of the patients and families at Riley’s Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis was also very memorable. The thought that I had brought a little bit of joy and excitement into the lives of these amazing people that have gone through so much made me so grateful for all the blessings I have.
Finally, my first appearance as Miss Indiana and my last moments as Miss Indiana will always stay with me. My first appearance was at the Indianapolis Zoo and I was able to be a part of the dolphin show and even helped an elephant paint a painting so that was really amazing. My final moments on stage at the 2008 Miss Indiana Pageant, looking back at my year of service, all the lives I had touched, and all the people who had affected me made me very emotional. Then, crowning Katie Stam who would later go on to become the very first Miss America from Indiana was just awe-inspiring.
The Miss America Pageant truly changes your life, even if you don’t win a national, state, or even local title. The people you meet, the lessons you learn, and the experiences you gain through this program, and even other pageant programs, are completely worth it and they will surprise you how useful they are later in life as well.
Lastly, what have you been up to since your reign as Miss Indiana ended?
Since I gave up my title as Miss Indiana 2007, I have been keeping myself pretty busy! I moved to California to pursue a career in modeling and acting and was met with a lot of success in both. I modeled on the runway for L.A. Fashion Week, was in magazines such as “The Knot” Bridal Magazine and LA Weekly, was in commercials for companies such as Nokia, and appeared in advertisements for Maggie Sottero Bridal, Gold’s Gym apparel, and JOICO hair products among others. I also worked as a corporate spokesperson for 3 years for companies such as Porsche Cars North America, Lincoln Vehicles, and the Chrysler Group LLC for auto shows and special events which took me throughout the U.S. and even to Europe! (I actually got my first corporate spokesperson job thanks to a pageant photographer that connected me with the company because they like hiring pageant girls for their speaking skills!) In acting, I was accepted into the prestigious comedy school “The Groundlings” and was seen in several small films, commercials, and in plays throughout L.A. I even landed a small role in the Lionsgate feature film “Warrior” that was released in September 2011.
After a few years in L.A., I decided that the Hollywood lifestyle wasn’t for me and returned to Ball State University to complete my bachelor’s degree. I was able to graduate Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Spanish in May of this year, thanks in large part to my Miss America scholarships. Moving back to Indiana also led me to meet my very soon-to-be husband! We met last year before I went back to school and are getting married on September 15th of this year! We moved to Dallas after I finished school but have since moved to Saint Louis due to a job transfer and have enjoyed being back in the mid-west and closer to family.
My pageant path since Miss Indiana didn’t involve much while living in California since I was mostly focusing on my career in the entertainment industry. However, once I moved to Saint Louis, I was given the opportunity to represent Missouri in the Ms. America Pageant and I won the title of Ms. America 2012 this past April! As Ms. America 2012, I have continued to be involved with my platform, “Breathe Easy,” and the pageant’s national platform, The Guard a Heart Foundation – helping prevent heart disease. I travel to California for appearances with the Guard a Heart Foundation and other sponsors, I volunteer at the Saint Louis Children’s Hospital, I have been in several parades including the Veiled Prophet 4th of July Parade in Saint Louis, and I was interviewed on many different television and radio programs.
I have also judged many different pageants including the Miss Virginia Pageant (preliminary to Miss America), many local/preliminary pageants to Miss Indiana, and the national pageant for the Dream Girls USA system, and have started coaching young women in public speaking, interview, and modeling for pageants. My new company is called “Royal Transformations LLC” and I plan on a full launch after I return from my honeymoon in October!
To find out more about me, my platform, and my professional and/or pageant careers, please visit my website: www.nicolerash.com
The Ms. America Pageant is for women ages 27 and up who are either single, married, divorced, or widowed and with or without children, and the phases of competition are interview, sportswear, evening gown, and on-stage question. To find out more about competing in the Ms. America Pageant, you can go on their website at www.msamericapageant.com or find us on facebook and twitter!
Thanks for all the continued support that everyone has shown me throughout the years. God bless you all!