ORLANDO, Fla. (Valley News Live) – Valley News Live has exclusive coverage of the 2025 Miss America competition, where Valley News Team’s Sophia Richards is representing our state as Miss North Dakota.
For the past 103 years, this pageant has provided a platform for 52 state delegates to share their charitable and community service efforts, in hopes of earning the Miss America Organization scholarship.
Glitz and glam is taking over the city of Orlando, Florida, as the 2025 Miss America competition gets underway. The 52 delegates competing for the crown show that it takes beauty and brains to hold this national title.
Wednesday night, the Miss Preliminaries took contestants through fitness wear and evening gown competitions, and the highly-anticipated interview question. The women have 30 seconds to answer a question asked at random, live on the Walt Disney stage.
Miss North Dakota Sophia Richards was asked: “Mental health is a critical aspect of overall well-being, yet it often goes overlooked until a mental health crisis occurs. How can we reduce the stigma surrounding seeking help before a mental health challenge becomes overwhelming?”
In her answer, Richards highlights a personal connection and the local BIO Girls program, an organization she’s been passionate about for the past 3 years.
“I unfortunately lost my aunt at a very young age to suicide and it was something that my family wasn’t very open to talking about, so throughout my life I try to be a champion for mental health,” Richards said. “As a BIO Girls advocate, volunteer and mentor, I am doing just that in my community and my home state of North Dakota. And I’m so happy to represent this North Dakota-born organization on the national stage tonight. As your next Miss America, I won’t rest until each state has a BIO Girls because I’m on a mission that is too important to fail.”
Miss Minnesota, Emily Schumacher, took the stage to introduce her involvement with the American Heart Association.
Schumacher was asked: “Heart disease remains one of the leading causes of death in our society, yet many people are unaware of the simple steps they can take to improve our health. What can be done to raise awareness about heart health, encourage healthier lifestyle choices and promote education on preventing heart disease?”
“Right now in America, only 1% of our youth is living a heart-healthy lifestyle. Throughout my year of service as Miss Minnesota, I’ve been traveling with the Minnesota American Heart Association as their national speaker,” Schumacher said. “Educating the children on how to be heart healthy through life simply, and also the American Heart Challenge, for which I’ve raised over $50,000 in the last two months. Throughout my year as Miss America, partnered with the Department of Health alongside the American Heart Association I want to make sure that all children’s hearts are taken care of because heart health is a right not a privilege.”
The answers to interview questions provide insight to the judges, who pick the recipient of the $50,000 Miss America scholarship.
The first six preliminary winners include Miss Ohio Stephanie Finoti, Miss South Carolina Davis Wash, and Miss Wisconsin Mandi Genord for fitness wear.
Miss Florida Casana Fink, Miss Texas Annette Addo-Yobo, and our very own Miss North Dakota Sophia Richards took home evening gown awards.
The competition is taking place December 31-January 5, culminating with the crowning of Miss America 2025 and Miss America’s Teen 2025.
Valley News Live has a team in Orlando with exclusive, behind-the-scenes coverage. Watch for live updates throughout the week.
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