ST. GEORGE – Alana Lee, senior student of Dixie State College of Utah, was crowned Miss Nevada 2011 in front of a capacity crowd Saturday night July 2 at the CasaBlanca Hotel and Casino Resort Showroom in Mesquite, Nevada.
Lee will go on to compete for the 2012 Miss America title this upcoming January 10-14, at the Planet Hollywood Resort in Las Vegas, with the annual pageant broadcast slated to air live on the ABC television network on Saturday, January 14.
Lee, a 21-year-old mass communication major from Las Vegas, bested 13 other contestants as Miss Clark County en route to claiming the title and crown. In her new role as Miss Nevada 2011, Lee will spend the next year traveling the state to promote her personal platform of patriotism.
“I couldn’t be more proud and honored to represent the Silver State at such a time of need,” Lee said humbly. “Our state is struggling so much right now and I hope to serve as an uplifting source of optimism and leadership.”
As part of the competition, Lee performed a vocal solo of Celine Dion’s hit “I’m Alive,” while her platform was entitled “Improving relations through effective communication,” which emphasizes improving conflict resolution tools at multiple levels, from relationships between parents and teenagers to the current political climate here in the United States.
In addition to her pageant win, Lee won the Miss America Organization’s Academic Award, including a $1,000 scholarship, for her excellence in maintaining a 3.93 overall Grade Point Average while at Dixie State. With her degree in mass communication, she aspires to become a news journalist at a major network, with hopes of eventually hosting her own television show.
“I honestly feel that the education I received at Dixie State College prepared me for this opportunity,” Lee noted. “I’m grateful for the support I have received from Dixie’s administration and faculty. I am proud to also represent Dixie State as I prepare for the Miss America pageant.”
A 2007 graduate of Mojave High School, Lee is the sixth member of her family to attend Dixie State College, where she is involved in campus activities, and has served as a news anchor and reporter for SUN News, a nightly news broadcast produced by the DSC’s communication department’s Center for Media Innovation.
Additionally, Lee served as production coordinator for the upcoming Wayne Newton documentary that will debut at the 2011 DOCUTAH International Documentary Film Festival in St. George this September.
In addition to her academic achievements at DSC, Lee was also crowned as Dixie State’s Homecoming Queen in 2009 and represented DSC at the 2010 Miss Utah Pageant. She is the daughter of Nevada State Senator John Jay and Marilyn Lee.