F.I.T. student Mallory Hagan has officially been crowned Miss America 2013! Originally from Alabama, this beauty queen moved to the neighborhood of Park Slope in Brooklyn just a few years ago and became Miss Brooklyn in 2010. During the competition she performed a high-energy tap dance number to James Brown’s “Get Up Off That Thing” and confidently answered a question regarding the National Rifle Association’s plan to have armed guards in schools. Her response was “I don’t think the proper way to fight violence is with violence. I think the proper way is to educate people on guns and the ways we can use them properly. We can lock them up, we can have gun safety lessons, we can have a longer waiting period.” During the competition she raised awareness about the issue of child sexual abuse and will continue to do so while she still has the crown. With her title, Ms. Hagan also receives a $50,000 scholarship. An Advertising & Marketing Communications major, she also focuses on cosmetics and fragrance. Miss America will also be an advocate and role model for many women throughout the nation. Who says F.I.T. students excel only in fashion? We do pageants too!