Kira Kazantsev

Kira Kazantsev

Kazantsev at the USO World Spring Tour in March 2015
Born (1991-07-20) July 20, 1991
San Francisco, California, U.S.
Education Walnut Creek Intermediate
Las Lomas High School
Hofstra University
Height 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
Title Miss City of New York 2014
Miss New York 2014
Miss America 2015
Term September 14, 2014 – September 13, 2015
Predecessor Nina Davuluri
Successor Betty Cantrell
Website kirakazantsev.com

Kira Kazantsev (born July 20, 1991) is an American beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss America 2015 on September 14, 2014. She is the third consecutive Miss America winner from New York and had won the title of Miss New York on May 24, 2014 while serving as Miss City of New York. Her talent was singing with cup percussion to "Happy" by Pharrell Williams. She is an advocate for women and is raising awareness about domestic violence with her platform "Love Shouldn't Hurt".

Early life

Kazantsev was born on July 20, 1991 in San Francisco, California,[1] to Russian immigrants who left Moscow in 1990 for the United States,[2][3] making her a first-generation American. Kazantsev stated in a Miss New York video that she has lived in San Francisco, Chicago, Lexington, San Antonio and New York City.[2] Her father, George, is a general surgeon and her mother, Julia (née Afrikian),[4] is a real-estate broker.[5] She has a brother, Boris, who is three years younger.[5] At age 13, she reigned as Miss California Preteen while attending Walnut Creek Intermediate.[6] At 16, she served as Miss California Jr.[7] She graduated from Las Lomas High School in Walnut Creek where she served as student body president in 2009.[6] She was also a member of the high school varsity cheerleading squad.[7] She attended Hofstra University with a triple major in political science, global studies, and geography.[8] She chose Hofstra because of its close proximity to New York City and a generous scholarship.[5] During her time at Hofstra, she was in the honors college, which requires a 3.6 G.P.A., and during her junior year, she studied abroad in Barcelona.[5]

Pageants

Miss New York 2013

Kazantsev competed in the Miss New York 2013 pageant as Miss Cosmopolitan. She placed in the Top 10.[9]

Miss New York 2014

The following year, Kazantsev competed in the Miss New York 2014 pageant as Miss City of New York. She won the title of Miss New York 2014 and was crowned by Miss New York 2013 Amanda Mason.[9][10]

Miss America 2015

External media
Images
Miss America 2015 Winner: Kira Kazantsev, Swimsuit
Video
Miss America 2015 Winner: Kira Kazantsev, "talent": "Happy" by Pharrell with cup percussion
Miss America 2015 Winner: Kira Kazantsev, Crowning moment
Miss America 2015 Winner: Kira Kazantsev, Evening gown
Miss America 2015 Winner: Kira Kazantsev, Question

Kazantsev was one of the 52 competing delegates in the Miss America 2015 competition held in Atlantic City, New Jersey. She was crowned by outgoing Miss America 2014, Nina Davuluri, beating out first runner-up Miss Virginia 2014 Courtney Garrett. She was the third consecutive Miss New York to earn the title of Miss America.[11][12] Her win made New York the first state to have a Miss America winner three years in a row.[13] For her "talent", she sang "Happy" by Pharrell Williams as she used a red plastic cup as a percussion,[14] in a manner that was similar to Anna Kendrick's character in the movie Pitch Perfect and Kendrick's "Cups" music video.[12] During the on-stage question portion of the contest, she was asked what issue women in the senate need to put on the forefront. Kazantsev stated that she felt military sexual assault needed attention and resources of women in congress.[12] She noted that she was happy that female politicians were already doing so, and proud to be a constituent of one of these women (Kirsten Gillibrand).[15] Apart from the title, Kira won a $50,000 scholarship provided in part by Joseph Ribkoff Inc. and the Miss America Organization to continue her education, which she intends to use towards law school. She is a graduate of Hofstra University with a triple major in Political Science, Global Studies and Geography and wants to specialize in international law upon receiving her law degree.[16]

Personal life

Kazantsev reads to children living at Aberdeen Proving Ground, a US military installation in Maryland.

Kazantsev is from California, but she moved to New York six years prior to winning Miss America. As Miss New York, she resided in the Murray Hill neighborhood of Midtown Manhattan.[5] She moved to New York to attend Hofstra University and has been accepted to Notre Dame Law School and Fordham Law School, among others.[5][7] Kazantsev is fluent in Russian and studied Spanish.[9] She has had summer internships at a political consultancy in Washington, DC, served as a volunteer for U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand's 2012 re-election campaign, waited tables, interned at a local affiliate of Planned Parenthood, launched a food blog and served as a hostess.[5] She cites her personal experience with domestic violence as the inspiration and dedication to her platform "Love Shouldn't Hurt": Protecting Women Against Domestic Violence.[5][7][9]

In September 2014, relying on unnamed sources, feminist blog Jezebel published a piece stating that, while at Hofstra, Kazantsev was expelled from the Alpha Phi sorority for cruel hazing.[17] On Good Morning America, Kazantsev admitted her involvement in activities that fit the "broad definition of hazing", but denied the allegations of abuse, describing the hazing at Alpha Phi as "menial tasks".[18][19][20] In a personal blog Kazantsev wrote that not attending national Alpha Phi's judiciary hearing of her case was the official reason for the termination.[21][22]

References

  1. ↑ Elena Subbotina, Rossiyskaya Gazeta (September 15, 2014). "Miss America title goes to Russian immigrants' daughter". Russia Beyond The Headlines. Retrieved June 25, 2016.
  2. 1 2 Corriston, Michele (September 15, 2014). "5 Things to Know About the New Miss America, Kira Kazantsev". People. Retrieved 2014-09-28.
  3. ↑ Amy Kuperinsky (September 15, 2014). "Miss America 2015: Newly crowned Kira Kazantsev talks 'coloring outside the lines'". New Jersey On-Line. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  4. ↑ "California Birth Index: Kira Kazantsev". State of California. Retrieved May 18, 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Fleming, Kirsten and Dana Schuster (September 15, 2014). "How Kira Kazantsev went from Cronut blogger to Miss America". New York Post. Retrieved September 16, 2014.
  6. 1 2 "Photos: Former Walnut Creek resident Kira Kazantsev is 2015 Miss America (see photo journal)". San Jose Mercury News. September 15, 2014. Retrieved September 16, 2014.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Settembre, Jeannette (September 15, 2014). "Here are 10 things you need to know about Miss America Kira Kazantsev: She's brainy! She's a beauty! And she plays a mean plastic cup! Meet the Manhattanite who is now Miss America.". Daily News. Retrieved September 15, 2014.
  8. ↑ Gilfillian, Trudi (July 8, 2014). "Miss New York Kira Kazantsev". Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved September 15, 2014.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "Kira Kazantsev: Miss New York 2014". Miss New York Scholarship Organization.
  10. ↑ Benanti, Carol Ann (September 15, 2014). "Miss New York: Kira Kazantsev takes the top crown at Staten Island's St. George Theatre". Staten Island Advance. Staten Island. Retrieved May 24, 2014.
  11. ↑ Friedman, Molly (September 15, 2014). "The secrets behind New York's stunning three Miss America wins in a row". New York Daily News.
  12. 1 2 3 "A threepeat: Miss New York Kira Kazantsev crowned Miss America". CNN. September 15, 2014. Retrieved September 15, 2014.
  13. ↑ Schmitz, Ashleigh (September 15, 2014). "Miss America 2015: 5 Things to Know About Kira Kazantsev". Parade. Retrieved 2014-10-12.
  14. ↑ Parry, Wayne (September 14, 2014). "Miss New York Kira Kazantsev Crowned Miss America 2015". WABC-TV. Associated Press. Retrieved September 15, 2014.
  15. ↑ "Kira's On-Stage Question". The PageantFile. September 16, 2014. Retrieved 2014-09-24.
  16. ↑ "Kira Kazantsev wins the Title of Miss America 2015". news.biharprabha.com. September 15, 2014. Retrieved September 15, 2014.
  17. ↑ Ryan, Erin Gloria (September 22, 2014). "Miss America Was Kicked Out of Her Sorority for Abusive Hazing". Jezebel.com.
  18. ↑ "Miss America 2015 Kira Kazantsev Denies Hazing Allegations". Good Morning America. September 23, 2014.
  19. ↑ Ward, Michelle (September 23, 2014). "Miss America Kira Kazantsev Responds to Sorority Hazing Allegations". People. Retrieved 2014-09-24.
  20. ↑ Lovece, Frank (September 23, 2014). "Miss America Kira Kazantsev admits she was kicked out of Hofstra sorority, denies hazing". Newsday. Retrieved 2014-09-24.
  21. ↑ Lauren Steussy (September 23, 2014). "Miss America Kira Kazantsev faces allegations of hazing". SILive.com. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
  22. ↑ Miss America 2015 Kira Kazantsev (September 23, 2014). "The Reality of Miss America". kirakazantsev.com. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Nina Davuluri		 Miss America
2015 		Succeeded by
Betty Cantrell
Preceded by
Amanda Mason		 Miss New York
2014 		Succeeded by
Jillian Tapper
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