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HAVE. LIKE YOU MENTIONED, THE MISS AMERICA FINALS ARE THIS SUNDAY, BUT CONTESTANTS HAVE A PRIVATE INTERVIEW AND A PRELIMINARY COMPETITION IN THE DAYS LEADING UP TO FINALS. MISS ALABAMA ABBY STALKER HAS ALREADY COMPLETED HER PRIVATE INTERVIEW. AND NOW SHE PREPARES FOR THE PRELIMINARY COMPETITION, WHICH BEGINS FOR HER TOMORROW NIGHT IN ORLANDO,. FLORIDA. WHILE ABBY STALKER LEARNED SHE’D BE GOING TO MISS AMERICA LESS THAN A YEAR AGO, SHE’S BEEN WORKING TOWARD THIS DREAM FOR MUCH LONGER. FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS OF BEING INVOLVED IN THIS ORGANIZATION, I HAVEN’T BEEN TRAINING FOR THE ROLE OF MISS ALABAMA. I’VE BEEN TRAINING FOR THE ROLE OF MISS AMERICA. THIS WEEK, STALKER WILL COMPETE IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT CATEGORIES. THERE’S INTERVIEW ON STAGE, QUESTION FITNESS, EVENING GOWN, AND TALENT. FOR THIS, SHE’LL PERFORM A CONTEMPORARY DANCE TO YOU SAY BY LAUREN DAIGLE. THIS PIECE IS REALLY MEANINGFUL TO ME. IT’S MORE THAN JUST A DANCE. MY GRANDMOTHER PICKED OUT THE SONG YOU SAY BEFORE SHE PASSED AWAY, AND SHE WOULD TELL ME, ABBY, WHENEVER YOU HEAR THIS SONG, I WANT YOU TO REMEMBER THAT YOU WERE BEAUTIFUL. YOU WERE STRONG AND YOU WERE WORTHY. AND DON’T LET ANYONE EVER MAKE YOU THINK OTHERWISE. SO WHEN I PERFORM THIS NUMBER, I HOPE PEOPLE FEEL INSPIRED AND I HOPE PEOPLE ARE REMINDED THE IMPORTANCE OF ALWAYS STICKING TO THE COURSE AND STAYING TRUE TO WHO YOU ARE. AND MY GRANDMOTHER HAS THE BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE. GETTING TO WATCH ME FROM HEAVEN. WHILE THIS IS A PERFORMANCE OF A LIFETIME, STOCKARD IS NO STRANGER TO THE STAGE. I STARTED DANCING WHEN I WAS TWO YEARS OLD. I GREW UP DANCING AT VESTAVIA HILLS HIGH SCHOOL, AND THEN I DANCED COMPETITIVELY FROM BIRMINGHAM DANCE THEATER. AND THEN I WAS ON THE AUBURN UNIVERSITY TIGER PAWS DANCE TEAM THE PAST THREE YEARS. SO DANCE HAS BEEN MY ENTIRE LIFE. AS STOCKARD PAYS TRIBUTE TO HER GRANDMOTHER THIS WEEK, SHE’LL ALSO HONOR ONE OF HER CLOSEST FRIENDS THROUGH HER COMMUNITY SERVICE INITIATIVE. MADDIE HAS A GENETIC DISEASE CALLED CYSTIC FIBROSIS, AND GROWING UP, I SAW FIRSTHAND SOME OF THE DEVASTATING EFFECTS THAT THIS DISEASE TOOK ON HER MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH. AND I WILL NEVER FORGET SEEING MY BEST FRIEND LAYING HELPLESS IN A HOSPITAL BED, HOOKED UP TO OXYGEN, STRUGGLING TO BREATHE. AND IT WAS AT THAT MOMENT THAT I MADE A PROMISE TO HER THAT I WOULD DO EVERYTHING IN MY POWER TO FIGHT FOR HER AND FIGHT FOR OTHERS, BECAUSE THERE STILL ISN’T A CURE FOUND FOR CYSTIC FIBROSIS. INSPIRED BY HER FRIEND STOCKARD’S INITIATIVE, FUNDRAISERS FOR CYSTIC FIBROSIS RESEARCH, SHE TELLS ME HER BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT YET WAS SPEARHEADING AN EVENT THAT RAISED $190,000 FOR THE CYSTIC FIBROSIS FOUNDATION’S ALABAMA CHAPTER. IT WAS THE LARGEST FUNDRAISER THAT HAS EVER BEEN PUT ON IN THE STATE OF ALABAMA FOR CYSTIC FIBROSIS. AND I’M JUST SO EXCITED TO CONTINUE USING THIS PLATFORM TO INCREASE FUNDRAISING AND AWARENESS. AND I TRULY BELIEVE THAT WE’
Meet Miss Alabama and Vestavia Hills native, Abbie Stockard, as she competes in Miss America
A new Miss America will be crowned this week, and Abbie Stockard — a Vestavia Hills native and Auburn Tiger — is hoping to walk away with the title.It's been a busy week in Orlando, Florida, already. Stockard has completed the interview portion of the competition and is now preparing for on-stage competition, which, for her, begins Wednesday.Though Stockard learned she'd be going to Miss America less than a year ago, she's been working toward this dream for much longer."For the past three years of being involved in this organization, I haven't been training for the role of Miss Alabama," Stockard said. "I've been training for the role of Miss America."Stockard was crowned Miss Alabama before starting her senior year at Auburn University. She's currently taking a year off of school to focus on Miss Alabama, but has plans to return to Auburn's College of Nursing. In the meantime, Stockard said a lot of work has gone into preparing for Miss America. She's spent countless hours working on her evening gown walk, interview skills, fitness and talent.The talent preliminary is Thursday, and Stockard will perform a contemporary dance to "You Say" by Lauren Daigle."My grandmother picked out the song, 'You Say' before she passed away, and she would tell me, 'Abby, whenever you hear this song, I want you to remember that you are beautiful, you are strong, and you are worthy, and don't let anyone ever make you think otherwise,' Stockard said. "So when I perform this number, I hope people feel inspired, and I hope people are reminded the importance of always sticking to the course and staying true to who you are."Stockard will bring years of dance experience to the Miss America stage, as she started when she was just 2 years old."I grew up dancing at Vestavia Hills High School, and then I danced competitively from Birmingham Dance Theater," Stockard said. "And then I was on the Auburn University Tiger Paws dance team the past three years, so dance has been my entire life."As Stockard pays tribute to her grandmother during the talent portion of the competition, she'll also honor one of her closest friends through her Community Service Initiative."Maddie has a genetic disease called cystic fibrosis, and growing up, I saw firsthand some of the devastating effects that this disease took on her mental and physical health," Stockard said. "I will never forget seeing my best friend lying helpless in a hospital bed, hooked up to oxygen, struggling to breathe. It was at that moment that I made a promise to her that I would do everything in my power to fight for her and fight for others, because there still isn't a cure found for cystic fibrosis."Inspired by her best friend, Maddie, Stockard's initiative raises money for cystic fibrosis research. She said her biggest achievement yet was spearheading an event that raised $190,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's Alabama Chapter."It was the largest fundraiser that has ever been put on in the state of Alabama for cystic fibrosis," Stockard said. "I'm just so excited to continue using this platform to increase fundraising and awareness. And I truly believe that we'll get closer and closer to finding a cure in this lifetime."Stockard will have plenty of opportunities to advocate for her initiative during the competition, and her friend Maddie will be in attendance, cheering her on.For more information on how to watch Miss America and Miss America's Teen 2025, click here.
ORLANDO, Fla. —
A new Miss America will be crowned this week, and Abbie Stockard — a Vestavia Hills native and Auburn Tiger — is hoping to walk away with the title.
It's been a busy week in Orlando, Florida, already. Stockard has completed the interview portion of the competition and is now preparing for on-stage competition, which, for her, begins Wednesday.
Though Stockard learned she'd be going to Miss America less than a year ago, she's been working toward this dream for much longer.
Abbie Stockard
Abbie Stockard smiles after being crowned Miss Alabama"For the past three years of being involved in this organization, I haven't been training for the role of Miss Alabama," Stockard said. "I've been training for the role of Miss America."
Stockard was crowned Miss Alabama before starting her senior year at Auburn University. She's currently taking a year off of school to focus on Miss Alabama, but has plans to return to Auburn's College of Nursing. In the meantime, Stockard said a lot of work has gone into preparing for Miss America. She's spent countless hours working on her evening gown walk, interview skills, fitness and talent.
The talent preliminary is Thursday, and Stockard will perform a contemporary dance to "You Say" by Lauren Daigle.
"My grandmother picked out the song, 'You Say' before she passed away, and she would tell me, 'Abby, whenever you hear this song, I want you to remember that you are beautiful, you are strong, and you are worthy, and don't let anyone ever make you think otherwise,' Stockard said. "So when I perform this number, I hope people feel inspired, and I hope people are reminded the importance of always sticking to the course and staying true to who you are."
Stockard will bring years of dance experience to the Miss America stage, as she started when she was just 2 years old.
"I grew up dancing at Vestavia Hills High School, and then I danced competitively from Birmingham Dance Theater," Stockard said. "And then I was on the Auburn University Tiger Paws dance team the past three years, so dance has been my entire life."
As Stockard pays tribute to her grandmother during the talent portion of the competition, she'll also honor one of her closest friends through her Community Service Initiative.
Abbie Stockard
Stockard poses with her friend, Maddie and Paul Finebaum during fundraiser"Maddie has a genetic disease called cystic fibrosis, and growing up, I saw firsthand some of the devastating effects that this disease took on her mental and physical health," Stockard said. "I will never forget seeing my best friend lying helpless in a hospital bed, hooked up to oxygen, struggling to breathe. It was at that moment that I made a promise to her that I would do everything in my power to fight for her and fight for others, because there still isn't a cure found for cystic fibrosis."
Inspired by her best friend, Maddie, Stockard's initiative raises money for cystic fibrosis research. She said her biggest achievement yet was spearheading an event that raised $190,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's Alabama Chapter.
"It was the largest fundraiser that has ever been put on in the state of Alabama for cystic fibrosis," Stockard said. "I'm just so excited to continue using this platform to increase fundraising and awareness. And I truly believe that we'll get closer and closer to finding a cure in this lifetime."
Stockard will have plenty of opportunities to advocate for her initiative during the competition, and her friend Maddie will be in attendance, cheering her on.
For more information on how to watch Miss America and Miss America's Teen 2025, click here.
English (US)