Most seniors spend their final year in college worrying about finishing their coursework and planning their future. For Gabrielle Reed, a graduate of the Jacobs School of Music, this was no different, except for one thing – she also had to focus on competing in the Miss America Pageant last January.
Reed has been both Miss Indiana 2010 and Miss IU 2008. Reed, a vocal performance major who has taken a year off to pursue her duties as Miss Indiana, has had a unique experience at IU, which included a large amount of traveling and preparing for pageants.
Originally from California, Reed moved to Indiana and graduated from Bluffton High
School. While she now calls Bloomington her home, she didn’t always view Indiana that way.
“Before, I didn’t see Indiana as my state because I’m not originally from here,” Reed says. “But it’s been a place of opportunity for me.”
As a teenager, Reed competed in pageants for fun. It wasn’t until she reached college that she became more serious about the competitions. She realized how influential they could be on her life.
“I’m 100 percent financially independent,” Reed says. “When I saw that Bursar statement, it was like, okay how am I going to do this? It got to the point where I was going to have to take a year off or transfer. So I needed to do something and the pageant was a great opportunity.”
The Miss IU pageant was the first step for Reed. Winning the title 2008 guaranteed Reed a chance to continue her education. Miss IU requires no money to enter and most contestants will walk away with some financial prize. Reed had found what she was looking for.
Being Miss IU 2008 has meant a great deal to the then senior. The title not only enabled her to continue her education, but it also granted her a look at what Miss IU means to the state of Indiana.
“I was invited to go to the Indiana State Fair 2008 to be in the parade” Reed says. “After the parade I was in normal clothes, but I was carrying my Miss IU bag. All these groups of people with kids came up to me and asked if I was Miss IU. They were IU alums and were so excited to see me. They saw the logo on the bag and recognized who I was. To them I was their Miss America.”
Reed attributes the power of the Miss IU title to the University backing the pageant. She feels that Miss IU is as close to the state title due to the girth of the University, which is what makes it so much more prestigious than other local pageants.
Reed has competed in the Miss Indiana pageant three times, and finally won the title in 2010. In 2009, Reed competed at Miss Indiana and was second runner-up, but in 2008 she didn’t even make the top 10.
One of the judges and a past Miss Indiana, told Reed she was worried about the pressures of Miss Indiana – namely, Reed competing in Miss America without the financial support of a family to rely on.
Another judge spoke up and said, “Don’t worry we take care of our own.” And according to Reed, they’ve kept their promise.
“I haven’t had to pay for any of my gowns or anything else,” Reed says. “They really did take care of me.”
Reed’s platform, “Empowerment From the Start, Communities Preventing Domestic Violence” is very important to her. As a survivor of domestic violence, Reed has seen her title as a way of getting her message out as well as reaching out to other survivors.
“When I can talk to someone about what they went through and we have the connection of being survivors of domestic violence, that’s really special,” Reed says. “And that’s something being Miss Indiana has allowed me to do.”
At a preliminary meeting for Miss IU 2011, Reed gave advice to this year’s contestants sharing her experiences and advice.
“I was once asked on stage ‘What’s the most drastic thing you have ever done to win?’ My answer was ‘nothing,’” Reed says. “I come prepared and then appreciate the experience. It’s not about who has the best body in swimwear or best answer in the interview – it’s about who’s the right fit for the job.”
Photo courtesy of http://missamericacontestants.blogspot.com/2011/02/miss-america-2011-contestant-miss_3454.html.