From Bullied to Beauty Queen: Miss North Carolina USA Prepares to Face 'The Donald'

May 1, 2013 - PRLog -- After being crowned, Miss North Carolina USA in November 2012, Ashley Mills will represent the state by competing for the coveted title of MISS USA. The 62nd Miss USA pageant will take place on June 16, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino.

During her reign as Miss North Carolina USA, Mills spearheaded a statewide anti-bullying campaign called, “Reach For More: Be Better than Average” Tour, which allowed her to visit elementary, middle and high schools, speaking out against this type of behavior.  “I was bullied in high school and battled with self-confidence.  It wasn’t until watching the Miss Teen USA pageant on television, and noticing how those girls on stage were seemingly confident that I decided to enter the world of pageants,” says Mills.      

Mills, along with 50 other state queens, will go before Donald J. Trump (part-owner of the Miss Universe Organization) and celebrity judges for the chance to claim the national title as Miss USA.  “I look forward to meeting Donald Trump, Paula Shugart (President of MUO), as well as the rest of the MUO staff.  I am confident in my abilities and would be humbled to bring the title home to North Carolina,” says Mills.  

The Miss USA Pageant will air live on June 16, 2013 at 9:00 PM EST.  For more information on the Miss USA Pageant, please visit the Miss USA official website.  

About Miss North Carolina USA

The MISS NORTH CAROLINA USA® Pageants bring beautiful young women from throughout the state to compete for this title and a chance to be crowned MISS USA®.  For additional information, log on to www.missnorthcarolinausa.com and www.missuniverse.com.  

Official Preliminaries to the Miss USA® & Miss Teen USA Pageants are independently conducted and produced by RPM Productions, Inc. under license from Miss Universe, L.P. LLLP.  The MISS UNIVERSE®, MISS USA® and MISS TEEN USA® Pageants are a Donald J. Trump and NBC Universal joint venture.  To follow Miss NC USA 2013 on Twitter: @RealMissNCUSA