At first glance Hannah Mollerick appears to be your normal college student, but this peppy Towson girl is so much more than meets the eyes.
For anyone who has seen and loved Sandra Bullock in Miss Congeniality, you quickly fell in love with Bullock’s portrayal of an FBI agent turned quirky Pageant Queen. You might have wished all Pageant Queens were like her. Look no further than Hannah Mollerick, Towson’s very own Pageant Queen! Currently Hannah, a sophomore dance education major, reigns as Miss Western Maryland. She throws any misconception you may have had about Pageant Queens out the window. Rather than engage in scandalous behavior, Hannah focuses on her studies and community service. Hannah impressed me with her down-to-earth manner and stylish, yet unpretentious look. Not only will she impress you with her attitude, but her confidence as well!
Hannah currently reigns as Miss Western Maryland. She was also Miss University City 2010 and Miss Maryland Outstanding Teen 2008, the teen component of the Miss America pageant. She was 4th runner up in the Miss Maryland pageant, the qualifier for Miss America pageant, this year.
Hannah started doing pageants when she was really young. “You know that show Toddler’s and Tiaras? Well that was me,” she says. Being in pageants is more than just playing dress-up and wearing shiny tiaras for Hannah, pageants give her the opportunity to dance, which is her passion. Her title gives her the opportunity to promote several charities, which she feels is very important.
“With the crown comes a voice,” she says. Through pageantry she has been able to promote her platforms, Invisible Children and the 3D Project: Don’t Drive Distracted. Invisible Children is an organization which works to stop the conflict in Uganda and the abduction of children to use as child soldiers. The 3D Project works to create safer roads by encouraging people to sign a pledge to avoid distracted driving and practice safe driving behavior. As a reigning Queen, Hannah talks to teenagers at driving schools and is working with WBAL-11 News, who sponsors the 3D Project.
Pageantry has given Hannah much more than community service and the opportunity to perform. While competing at the Miss Outstanding Teen Pageant she met her best friend, who was also a contestant. “I’ve met so many amazing people and made so many friends through pageantry,” she says. “It’s one of the best parts.”
Even though Hannah gushes about her fellow Pageant Queens, she admits that there sometimes can be some backstage drama. “I heard a story from my friend in Philadelphia who knew a girl who had her entire dress cut up at a pageant,” she says. “She discovered it right before she had to go on stage for the evening wear competition.”
So how does Hannah deal with the sometimes bad reputation of pageants? For Hannah, pageantry, and especially the Miss America pageant, is about scholarship and talent, not beauty. “You can win the entire pageant with just interview and talent,” she says. “It’s more than beauty, you have to have brains too.”
Hannah is much more than a pretty face. She has been on the Dean’s list for her entire time at Towson and was a Maryland Distinguished Scholar in high school. She teaches dance on the weekends and is a certified Zumba instructor. “You have to learn how to time manage and prioritize,” she says. “I don’t have time to go out and party.”
 “With the crown comes responsibility,” she says. She sees herself as a role model for young girls and doesn’t engage in scandalous behavior. “I don’t go out and party like a normal college student,” she says. “I feel pressure to be a role model with my title. I rather instill confidence in young girls and encourage them to chase their dreams.”
Most importantly, Hannah wants to express to women, “Never give up on your dreams.”
So where does Hannah see herself in the coming years? “Miss America of course! Isn’t that every little girls dreams?”