DSU announces partnership with Miss America Organization

Dakota State University in Madison is entering into a new partnership with The Miss America Organization (MAO) and Miss America Foundation, an opportunity made possible by the 2017 Rising Gift to DSU.  

This partnership is a first in the Miss America Organization’s history, part of the organization’s efforts to focus on talent identification over appearance, and encourage an emphasis on the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The Beacom College of Computer and Cyber Sciences at DSU has pledged more than one-hundred-thousand dollars in support of this effort through a new scholarship opportunity for the contestants.

The Beacom College is sponsoring a writing component which will be a new part of the interview segment of competition for the Miss America candidates. The topic for the essay will be women and STEM. A panel will judge the essays and the winner will be awarded a $5,000 Beacom College STEM Scholarship cash award.

The award-winning writing candidate may also elect to enroll in up to four years of undergraduate studies, including tuition, room, and board at DSU, or scholarship for tuition to complete one degree of graduate studies from DSU’s Beacom College of Computer & Cyber Sciences. The Beacom STEM Scholarship award has the potential to exceed a total value of 85-thousand dollars.  

The Miss America competition is the largest college scholarship program for women in the United States, and this new scholarship opportunity will further the organization’s goal to prepare great women for the world and prepare the world for great women.

  The Beacom College of Computer & Cyber Sciences at DSU is also the title sponsor of the inaugural live webcast of the preliminary competitions. The preliminary competitions will feature all 51 candidates vying for the title of Miss America. The preliminary competitions are Sunday, December 15th, and Monday, December 16th, at 7:00 p.m. Eastern (6:00 p.m. Central Time).  

Webcast link