Hannah Utic Visits Section 36!

Section 36 had another visitor! Hannah Utic is passionate about political involvement, a talented singer, and the current Miss Alaska. I was so excited that she wanted to visit with us to discuss those topics, and a few more.

So, let's see what happens when Hannah Utic visits Section 36!

How did you celebrate winning the Miss Alaska crown?

My mom best friend, who was Miss Alaska 1993 and helped me get ready for Miss Alaska, and I had a deal that the day after the pageant, win or lose, we were going to celebrate with donuts—so that’s what we did! The morning after, we went out for hot cocoa and donuts and it was great. We also had a bet going: her and I always get our nails done together, so we had a deal that if I lost, I had to get my nails painted yellow (I despise the color yellow for nails) but if I won, then I got to pick her nail color (she’s very picky). So I had an absolutely fantastic time picking out this completely great nail color for her that she would have refused to wear otherwise.

What is something Jessica Reisinger did as Miss Alaska that you would like to emulate?

Jessica made the absolute best of friends with her fellow state titleholders, and I cannot wait to hopefully also meet lifelong friends at Miss America.

What part of the upcoming Miss America competition are you most nervous about?

I honestly am not very nervous, I am just excited to go represent my state and have the time of my life! If I had to name one thing though, I am not a dancer whatsoever, so all the choreography we will have to learn should be interesting for me.

How did you select your Community Service Initiative, “Civic Involvement through Informed Voting”? 

I have always been very interested in political processes, even as a child, which is what led me to pursue a political science degree. Throughout my time in school, I began to notice more and more the lack of interest that people, especially my generation, have in being involved in our government, even within the local community. One of my favorite quotes is, “Because we live in the land of the free and the home of the brave, we have been given so much. Therefore I believe we have much to give in return.” It is not only our right but actually our duty as American citizens to be involved civically in our society, so my CSI is really a reflection of my hope to promote this message.

What do you enjoy most about performing your talent on stage?

I am not someone who craves the spotlight, so performing solo on stage is definitely not something that greatly appeals to me. However, I had spent so much time practicing my song “I Will Survive,” that when it came time to perform, I just had so much fun getting to walk out and play in the most sparkly hot pink dress I’ve ever seen and finally get to see the fruit of all my hard work pay off.

If you could be a Disney character for a week, who would you choose? Why?

I think I would want to be Remy from Ratatouille because he gets to hang out in France and eat incredible food.

You recently graduated with a degree in political science. Where do you see those studies taking you?

A lot of people who have political science degrees tend to purse law or major political careers. However, for me, I plan to use this basis of education to help me be able to work on solutions to issues in my local and state communities.

If you had an extra ticket to see an Alaska Baseball League game, who would you take with you? Why?

I would definitely have to take my youngest brother Ian, because he is an absolute baseball fanatic and he would never forgive me if I didn’t bring him along.

Is there a feature or activity at a baseball game that you’d especially like to experience?

I’m not very knowledgeable about anything sports related, however I have been to a few Seattle Mariners games and my favorite part is always the funny things they show on the big screen in between innings. I do think it would be a ton of fun to throw the opening pitch at a game.

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A first pitch does sound like fun!

As always, I want to thank Hannah for visiting with us, and for sending along the pictures to go with the interview.

I also want to wish her luck when she competes for Miss America! It would be fantastic to have another Section 36 Forever wear that crown.

I'm sure you'd like to follow along with Hannah during her journey. You should be sure to check out her title's Instagram account and website. They're great ways to keep track of everything she has going on, and you'll be sure not to miss anything. 

Thanks again Hannah, and good luck!

Shakira Jackson Visits Section 36!

Section 36 had another visitor! Shakira Jackson is passionate about voting, a talented singer, and the current Miss Steel City. I was so excited that she wanted to visit with us to discuss those topics, and a few more.

So, let's see what happens when Shakira Jackson visits Section 36!

How did you celebrate winning the Miss Steel City crown?

I went to Pittsburgh's best restaurant Eddie Merlot's Prime Aged Beef & Seafood, and directly after winning, I called my mom, who is one of my biggest cheerleaders, and we screamed and cried because this was such a milestone for my family. My mom got pregnant with me at a young age, so she did not get a chance to pursue pageantry, and she tells me every day I am her second chance.

What part of the upcoming Miss Pennsylvania competition are you most nervous about?

I am most nervous about modeling my gowns. I tend to put a lot of my personality into my stage presence, not that this is a bad thing; I just fear it might be a little too much. That is why I decided to get a pageant coach since I did not have a lot of coaching on my stage presence. With the help of my coach, I will win states!

What is something that Meghan Sinisi is doing as Miss Pennsylvania that you would want to emulate?

Something that Meghan Sinisi is doing as Miss Pennsylvania that I would want to emulate is speaking at local events and implementing my platform in creative ways. I think Meghan does a great job with communication and spreading awareness about her social impact, and just like her, I want to connect with different audiences and make people feel inspired and empowered.

How did you select your social impact initiative?

I have also been politically involved in the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia community, so my social impact came from my passion for civic engagement. I have worked as a poll worker and have even had the chance to testify to the Pennsylvania commission about fair redistricting map drawings. I chose my social impact off of what was close to home for me because I have seen people in my community lose hope in our democracy, and I want to change that narrative. Not voting is giving up your voice, and it sucks that people are losing hope in our system. I just want to be the change I want to see, and I want people to see the power voting yields. 

What do you enjoy about performing your talent on stage?

I enjoy storytelling and allowing people to tune into my emotions. Music has always been a source of expression and outlet for me, and I enjoy sharing my talent, which is singing, because it allows people to take a walk through all of my pain and happy moments. Music has also brought people together around me, so that is an element I love to share as well.

You’re currently studying politics at University of Pittsburgh. Where do you see that field taking you?

I see this field leading me to one day be a political representative and, most importantly, guide my work in the lead and serving others. To me, community service and outreach are everything. Someone has to take the initiative. I come from a long line of people who have dropped out of school, become teenage moms very young, and were very limited in opportunity. I take all of my generational stories as motivation because it allows me to create opportunities for the next. I am a first-generation college student graduating a year early, and I will still be twenty years old when I receive my bachelor's degree; I will be attending Georgetown University in the fall, continuing my education in Democracy and Governance and Law.

If you could be a Disney character for a week, who would you choose? Why?

I would be Princess Tiana. I would choose her because, just like her character emphasis, I believe in hard work taking you far. I come from a very impoverished background, but when people look at me, they don't see where I come from but rather where I am going. Also, just like Princess Tiana, I believe I am almost there! I want to one day run for office, and we need more young people who are willing to run, so I've been preparing for my campaigning announcement and more information to come soon about this.

If you had an extra ticket to a Pittsburgh Pirates game, who would you take with you? Why?

I would take my grandma Sharon. My grandma has been one of my biggest supporters since I started my Miss America journey, and that's a debt I will never be able to repay, but I know she has also never been to a Pirates game but has always wanted to, so if I could make that dream come true for her I would, and I plan to! It will be an experience for the books!

Is there a feature or activity at a game at PNC Park that you’d especially like to experience? 

I would love to attend a Pittsburgh Pirates game as I have not gotten a chance to, and since the pandemic limited a lot, I am super eager to go to a game in the next month and make an appearance as Miss Steel City and as a super Pirates fan! Also, I am looking forward to trying the stadium food as all of my friends have bragged about it.

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PNC is absolutely a great place to watch a game! 

As usual, I want to thank Shakira for visiting with us, and for sending along the pictures to go with the interview.

I also want to wish her luck when she competes for Miss Pennsylvania! It would be fantastic to have another Section 36 Forever wear that crown.

I'm sure you'd like to follow along with Shakira during her journey as Miss Steel City. You should be sure to check out her title's Instagram account and her personal Instagram. They're great ways to keep track of everything she has going on. 

Thanks again Shakira, and good luck!