A 22-year-old NKU criminal justice major from Cynthiana, Katie Himes, has been named Miss Kentucky United States at a competition in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
She will compete the Miss United States pageant this summer.
The 22-year-old senior criminal justice major from Cynthiana, Kentucky, shed those tears of joy when she was crowned Miss Kentucky United States in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
“I’m so excited,” Katie says. “I will spend the next few months leading up to the competition in the gym, at dress designing and fitting appointments, and making appearances across the state.”
Katie has been competing since age 8 and has also been crowned Miss Kentucky Jr. Teen United States 2008, Miss Kentucky Teen America 2009, Miss Kentucky Collegiate 2012, Miss Ohio Collegiate 2013, Miss Kentucky Coed 2013, Miss Kentucky Festivals 2014, and Miss Teen America 2010.
She will add another honor in May — 2015 NKU graduate.
“I love NKU and have thoroughly enjoyed my four years at this school,” Katie says. “Even though my time is coming to an end, I have met some amazing professors, friends and classmates that I will never forget. I’m truly thankful and proud to be able to call myself a Norse and the experience that I have had at NKU is something that I will cherish forever.”
When she heard her name called at the pageant, Himes had mixed feelings – but all good.
“I was completely and utterly excited and so grateful,” she said. “The first runner up and I are really close friends so I knew I would be content with whoever won the title.”
“It was really special to have her there when they called my name as the winner,” she said. “She was the first person I got to hug while I was excitedly freaking out and crying and it was nice to know that she was genuinely happy for me. Following the announcement I could not stop crying. My parents were on the first row and my mom was crying so the tears just kept coming. It was a really surreal moment.”
Despite the competitive nature of the event, she said her best experience was getting to share the competition with those other girls.
“I have competed in this system before. I was Miss Kentucky Jr. Teen United States in 2008, so I knew that I loved the system and I still do,” she said. “The best part about this particular competition in general was the other girls that I got to share it with. I knew a lot of the contestants in my division and other age divisions and it was nice to be able to spend time with them catching up and helping them get ready as well.”
She also said she looks forward to representing the state in the upcoming national competition and around Kentucky.
“My responsibility as Miss Kentucky United States is to make as many appearances as possible and promote this system, which is my favorite part,” Himes said. “I love doing the actual pageant and winning is great, but I think the connections you make with people is the most rewarding. I love to be able to represent my state and be a role model for young girls and kids and let them know that achieving their dreams is attainable and there is no dream that’s too big.”
Still, she said there were definitely challenges getting to where she is.
“The biggest challenge currently is commuting. I have an internship in Lexington with the Commonwealth attorney, Ray Larson, on Tuesday and Thursday,” she said. “Then I have class on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, plus any appearances that I can make during the week and the weekends. So I’m spending a lot of time in my car. Thank goodness for audio books. But I love the balance of everything that I’m doing and somehow I’m making it work.”
Those multitasking and time-managament skills will be put to use in the future. Himes is preparing for the national competition, but after that, plans to pursue a career in criminal justice. She is also a member of Kappa Delta Sorority, Golden Key Honor Society, Psi Chi Honor Society, Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Fraternity and Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society on campus. Off campus, she runs her own anti-bullying campaign, Bully Bashers, which she is trying to take to a national level.
From NKU