Ashley Connor was named Miss CU during a recent competition on campus. She was selected from among five other contestants for the honor.
"This was a nice experience for me," said Connor. "It was a ‘prideful' accomplishment for me, I didn't expect to win, because there were a lot of good contestants. I have done a lot here at Clarion and I know you have to work for what you accomplish. I entered to be supportive of a friend who was running the pageant. I have been in pageants before and wanted to do another one."
As the winner of the pageant, Connor will ride in the annual Autumn Leaf Festival Parade in Clarion on Oct. 4. The pageant is also used as a leader into the Miss America Pageant.
"That is something I always wanted to do, but I don't think I will have the time to pursue it now," said Connor.
The contest, sponsored by the University Activities Board, includes an interview with three judges, who ask each contestant questions; a demonstration of talent; eveningwear competition; and an on the spot question.
In the talent portion of the competition, Connor sang the song "He's Concerned," by Cece Winans. Her on the spot question concerned what global problem she would solve if she had an unlimited amount of money.
"I answered that I would donate money for the cure of HIV/AIDS in Africa," said Connor. "People have worked on this problem for a long time but never have enough money to complete all of the research. I have helped locally through my position as president of Clarion University's Black Student Union. We hold an HIV awareness week with free testing each February."
Connor, a senior mass media arts, journalism, and communication studies major, will graduate in May 2009. She is a daughter of Douglas Connor of Pittsburgh, and Cornelia Connor of North Carolina, and is a Woodland Hills High School graduate.
Her Clarion University experiences in addition to being president of the Black Student Union, include serving as student marketing coordinator for the Multi-Cultural Student Center, serving on the President's Advisory Board, writing features for the Clarion University student newspaper, "The Call," and reporting news for the Clarion University television station WCUB.
Connor also completed a 10-week internship during the past summer with WXIA-TV in Atlanta, Ga. She worked at the news department assignment desk and with people in the field.
She has been interested in a broadcasting career since before coming to college when she attended the Frank Bolden Urban Journalism Workshop in Pittsburgh. The workshop had a section on broadcasting and she worked on a story and was picked to anchor the half-hour news show that the workshop held.
"I met a lot of people during the internship," said Connor. "The news director wants me to keep in touch, provide three stories per month, and will help me with my first job. I want to go directly into reporting. I can't see myself doing anything else."
Not coincidentally, it was another pageant that brought Connor into contact with Clarion University. She won the 2005 Miss Black Teenage Pageant in Pittsburgh. Clarion offered her a Board of Governors Scholarship helping persuade her to pursue her degree at Clarion.
"I visited Clarion and they presented their communication department better than any of the other colleges I visited," said Connor. "I saw the TV station and what they had to offer and I knew this is where I wanted to go."
Four years and another pageant later, Connor is ready to graduate and pursue a career in the broadcasting industry.
Clarion University is the high-achieving, nationally recognized, comprehensive university that delivers a personal and challenging academic experience.
