UTAH (ABC4) – When most Americans think of the Miss America pageant, images of perfectly coiffed, made-up beauties traipsing across a stage in bikinis might come to mind.
Although this is certainly representative of the competition in years past, the famous pageant has made some changes in response to general widespread shifts in the cultural consciousness. This has resulted in a new type of Miss America – one that evaluates characteristics like social impact and talent above physical appearance – and one that Miss Utah Sasha Sloan is proud to be a part of.
I think it’s a tremendous step in the right direction,” she says of the 2019 move to eliminate the swimsuit competition and shift the pageant’s focus. “As a woman, I measure my value by what I can contribute to the world, the substance of who I am, my intellect, and my resume. I am very excited that the Miss America competition reflects that.”
In just over a week, Sloan will travel to Uncasville, Connecticut to represent Utah in the 100th annual Miss America contest. And she isn’t just there to speak for native Utahns like herself.
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