Nicole Rash - Pageant Career

Pageant Career

Nicole started competing in pageants at the age of 5 yrs old when she was entered in some local pageants in the South Bend, Indiana area. She enjoyed the experience, but did not plan on competing much in the future, so Nicole focused on other activities during elementary and junior high school.

She then entered a small pageant in Mishawaka entitled "Miss Michiana" where she received 2nd runner-up, and later entered the "Miss Sweetheart" pageant, also in Mishawaka, where she won the beauty category entitling her to be represented for the year by the AAA Modeling Agency in Northern Indiana.

Her senior year of high school, Nicole competed in the Plymouth Junior Miss Pageant (Now "Distinguished Young Women") and was chosen as their representative for the state program that year. She bested a field of 9 girls competing in private interview, a fitness routine (for which she won a preliminary award), talent (for which she gave a vocal performance), evening gown, and on-stage question. She then went to Indiana's Junior Miss later that year.

Nicole also entered the Miss Blueberry Festival pageant that same year where she competed in private interview, evening gown, and sportswear. She placed 2nd in the contest to festival queen Sara Boyer.

After returning from Bolivia, South America Nicole signed up for the Miss Ball State University pageant her first semester at the college, but was unable to compete when she was chosen for the UNIACC University exchange program in Santiage, Chile.

Upon her return from Chile, Nicole entered the Miss Indiana preliminary Miss North Central Indiana in Plainfield, Indiana and received 2nd runner-up in the well-known preliminary. This entitled her to compete in the "Sweeps" pageant in Bluffton, IN which would choose two more contestants for the Miss Indiana pageant from runners-up during that year. There she won the title of Miss Wabash Valley and entered the Miss Indiana Scholarship Pageant for the first time in June 2006. That year she received 1st runner-up to Miss Indiana 2006, Betsy Uschkrat, which qualified her for the National Sweetheart Pageant in Hoopeston, Illinois. The National Sweetheart Pageant serves as a 'mock Miss America' inviting all 1st runners-up from the state pageants to compete with one another in order to hopefully better prepare them for competition the next year. Nicole was chosen as a top 10 finalist at the Sweethaert Pageant that year, and the representative from Georgia, Kelly Bradshaw, captured the title.

The following year, Nicole was fortunate enough to win the first local pageant she competed in, Miss Ball State University. She sang "There You'll Be" by Faith Hill, wore her turquoise state gown from the previous year, and won preliminary awards in swimsuit and interview. She then represented her school at the Miss Indiana Scholarship Pageant that summer; she returned to her original talent, singing "Bandido" by Ana Barbara in new wardrobe which won her a preliminary talent award, and she wore a baby blue one shouldered Tony Bowls evening gown. She was able to best a field of 27 contestants and captured the title of Miss Indiana 2007! She was the first Miss Ball State to win the pageant in its 50 year history, and the first person from Plymouth, Indiana as well.

As Miss Indiana, Nicole went on to film a reality series with the Miss America Organization entitled "Miss America: Reality Check" where the 52 contestants were given tips by 3 advisors on changes they need to make for the newer, fresher, more modern image that Miss America needs to have. The series included 4 episodes that aired before the live pageant finale, and each week the top 3 contestants that were progressing the most, and the bottom 3 contestants that needed the most work, were chosen with a final top 3 chosen on the final episode. Nicole, along with Miss Washington and Miss New Mexico, were chosen as those top 3 contestants on the final episode, and were awarded with a $10,000 scholarship from 'Crest White Strips' and a $2,500 shopping spree from 'www.shopintuition.com.'

Nicole then represented the state of Indiana at the Miss America Pageant in January 2008 where she competed in 3 nights of preliminaries before the final Live Pageant Finale on Saturday, January 21. There she was chosen as a Top 16 Finalist, competed in the swimsuit competition, moved on to the Top 10 Finalists, competed in evening gown (where she showcased her self-designed evening gown that she sketched, chose the fabric for, and had made at the Chicago boutique 'Mira Couture'), then survived the Top 8 Finalists cut and competed in the talent competition with her vocal performance of "Bandido" by Ana Bárbara. She answered an on-stage question as the final section of competition and was named 1st runner-up to Miss America 2008, Kirsten Haglund of Michigan.

After the national pageant, Nicole continued to promote the national platform of Miss America, Children's Miracle Network, in her home state of Indiana as well as throughout the nation. She gave speeches at several middle and elementary schools throughout the state about the "Right Decisions, Right Now" program which emphasized the importance of making good decisions, setting goals for yourself, and choosing to be smoke and tobacco free. She also sang the National Anthem at the Indiana Society of Chicago's annual banquet, at the 4th of July celebration in Zionsville, Indiana (where the state pageant is held), a NASCAR affiliated race, and at other events. She helped with different organizations such as "Hearts and Hands" organizing a Latino Festival and toddler pageant, "The United Way" helping at their campaign launch and the annual United Way of Marshall County motorcycle ride, "Children's Miracle Network" by visiting the CMN hospital in Indiana, Riley's, helping coordinate a holiday party as well as helping hand out blizzards on "Miracle Treat Day" at the Plymouth Dairy Queen, and more.

Nicole took a hiatus from pageants while focusing on a career in the entertainment industry in Los Angeles for 5 years before she decided to compete again. This time she was able to compete in the Ms. division and chose the Ms. America Pageant. She applied to become Ms. Missouri, after recently moving to St. Louis, and was chosen as the state's representative. She then went on to the national competition in Anaheim, CA where she won the title of Ms. America 2012! She competed in Interview, Fashion wear, Evening wear, Fitness wear, and on-stage question and has since been on radio stations, television programs, red carpets, and in parades and at special events throughout the country. Her personal platform is "Breathe Easy - Keeping our Youth Smoke and Tobacco Free" Nicole decided to compete again so that she could continues to use her titles to benefit causes throughout the United States and plans to compete in other pageants to continue to help others through these empowering organizations.

Seeing the great benefit and many opportunities that Nicole was afforded through pageants, she has recently started coaching other women in all facets of pageant competitions including interview, talent, on-stage presence, hair & make-up, wardrobe, and much more.