Miss America 1997?

Like most University students, Engineering senior Kimberly Stec is getting excited for a big competition this Saturday.

But instead of grabbing a stadium blanket and throwing on a Wolverine T-shirt, Stec will slip into an evening gown to prepare for an event she's been waiting for since 1994 - the Miss America Pageant.

The winner of this June's Miss Michigan Pageant, Stec arrived in Atlantic City on Labor Day to begin competing against 50 other women for the coveted Miss America crown that will be awarded Saturday evening.

"To think about the fact that I could be Miss America is really scary, but it's something that I'm ready for," Stec said.

As the pressure mounts later this week, Stec will be joined by supportive friends and family.

Nursing junior Dana Schaffner plans to take a Greyhound bus to Atlantic City on Friday night to watch Stec in the pageant.

"I know it's the most important day of her life and I want to be there to support her," Schaffner said. "What's going to stand out is that she's incredibly down to earth and I think that's going to help her out."

The road to the Miss America Pageant began when Stec started dancing at age five. She participated in her first pageant at age 17, saying it promoted academics by awarding contestants scholarships. It also gave her an opportunity to showcase her dancing skills, Stec said.

"Someone mentioned to me that the Miss America Pageant program really promotes talent ... so (as a dancer) it was kind of a natural step," Stec said.

Stec claimed her first crown in 1995 at the Miss Heart of Michigan Pageant in Kalkaska, in northern Michigan. Winning the Miss Washtenaw County Pageant in the fall of 1996 qualified her for the Miss Michigan Pageant - which she went on to win this past June.

So far, Stec has received $13,000 in scholarship money that she has put toward earning her degree in industrial operations engineering - $3,000 of which she just received for being a Miss America Pageant contestant. Stec is taking the year off to serve as Miss Michigan, but plans to return for her senior year next fall.

Miss America Pageant festivities began Aug. 28, when Stec met the rest of the contestants at Disney World for pre-pageant events like photo shoots and appearances at places such as the Hard Rock Cafe.

"It was a nice, relaxing time to get to know each other before the competition gets started," Stec said.

Since their arrival in Atlantic City, the contestants have spent their time practicing group performance numbers, as well as fine tuning logistics to ensure that the show runs smoothly for Saturday's televised performance.

A Rochester native, Stec is a member of the jazz company at Ann Arbor's Jazz Dance Theater and is a member of the University's Society of Women Engineers. Last year, she served as the rush chair of the Delta Gamma sorority.

Despite her nervousness, Stec said she's very anxious for the competition to begin.

"The minute, I got (to Atlantic City), I wanted the competition to start," she said.

Arlene Stec, Kim's mother, said she thinks she's more nervous than her daughter.

"I'm keeping very busy at home because every time I think about (the pageant), I get nervous," said the elder Stec, who flew with her husband and children to join Kim in Atlantic City yesterday. "I can't imagine being on national television myself, but I guess that's why she's doing it and I never did."

Kim Stec's friends and family said they're not surprised she's made it to the Miss America Pageant.

"She's very organized, very hard working and a very goal-oriented person," said Dorothy Saulsberry, Delta Gamma's house mother.

"She's an extremely intelligent woman who has a lot going for her and also knows how to have fun," said Lauren Pascoe, president of Delta Gamma. "She doesn't fit the stereotype of the typical beauty queen."

Schaffner said she felt somewhat starstruck after her friend received the Miss Michigan crown, but claims Stec remains humble depite her successes.

"Obviosly any presentations that I've done have helped elipse because thirty percent (of the total score) is based on public speaking," Stec said.

Forty percent of her score is based on the talent portion, 30 percent is based on a private 15-minute interview with a seven-judge panel, 15 percent is based on the swimsuit competition and 15 percent is based on an evening gown competition.

FILE PHOTO
Engineering senior Kimberly Stec is gearing up for the Miss America pageant this weekend. This competition follows her win in the Miss Michigan pageant in June. Stec will compete against representatives from each state for the coveted title.

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