Amarone represents state well in 'Miss America' pageant

Miss Connecticut Morgan Amarone enjoys her time in the spotlight during the evening gown portion of 'Miss America' preliminary competitions on Jan. 12 in Las Vegas. Photos by Steve Smith.

On Jan. 11 – the second day of the “Miss America” preliminary competitions – Miss Connecticut Morgan Amarone said the highlight for her so far was traveling to locations around the pageant’s host city of Las Vegas, in order to shoot the broadcast’s opening number, which was filmed in such places as the Hoover Dam, the Bellagio Casino and some other, very special locations.

“I was able to travel throughout Las Vegas to exclusive spots that most people will never get the chance to go to, and experience that with 52 of the most incredible women in the country,” she said. “Also, performing my talent on the Miss America stage [in the first night of preliminaries, Jan. 10] was incredible. I’ve been dancing since I was 2, and it’s every dancer’s dream.”

There were lowlights, too, as the contestants go through a rather grueling schedule to pack in all of the appearances and rehearsals over 10 days. “Every time I get tired,” Amarone said, “I think to myself how thousands of girls would do anything to be in my position, and suddenly I’m not tired anymore. I realize that this is once in a lifetime, and it’s going by so quickly.”

Amarone said she felt very confident and pleased with herself in each of the contest’s phases, including her own tactical move of opting to perform her talent (jazz dance) on the first night of preliminaries. “I get the most nervous for talent,” she said, explaining the choice and how it paid off in her confidence.

“I absolutely left it all out on the stage,” she said. “It was literally the best performance I’ve ever had in my life. You have one shot to perform on the Miss America stage, but I felt like I nailed it.”

Amarone said she was also pleased with the interview phase – something many other competitors typically dread. “I felt like, with my interview, I could truly be Miss America,” she said. “I can take that with me the rest of my life.”

Amarone did not get the opportunity to perform during the live broadcast of the finals, but was still looking forward to the nationally-televised event. “That’s going to be a rush,” she said, two days prior.

One thing that impressed Amarone is the Miss America Organization's changing image. “Miss America is trying to move away from the typical pageant role,” she said, “and move into a modern role model. I think it's a great move. I think it is really going to attract a lot more people to the organization because they don't have to fit a pageant mold.”

Ultimately, Miss Wisconsin Laura Kaeppeler was crowned Miss America 2012. “I think she is great,” Amarone said. “I think she's going to be an incredible representative and I'm looking forward to seeing what she does with her year.”

Just taking part in the pageant was an experience of a lifetime for Amarone. The camaraderie with the other contestants and what she learned from them were some of her favorite things she came away with. “It really is such an incredible group of women,” Amarone said. “You can tell why each of them won their state pageant. I am still so honored that I am one of 53 contestants that was here. I felt like I competed perfectly. There's nothing I would change, and I leave Vegas with no regrets.”

The entire Miss America experience was unforgettable for Amarone, who added that she is looking forward to moving ahead with her career and life plans, which include eventually becoming a CFO of a hospital or healthcare facility.

“It’s just so surreal to be up there,” she said. “No words can describe it. I feel like I could be Miss America, but if not, my job is to come home and be Miss Connecticut. I really take it all in and I take that seriously.”