National Association of the Deaf

Submitted by NAD Conference on Wed, 07/04/2012 - 02:11 Blog:

• NAD Conference

Today was the first session of the Miss Deaf America preliminaries! The action-packed Preliminary I was held at the Hyatt Regency South from noon to 2 pm. Remember, this year will be the 40th annual- and the very last- Miss Deaf America competition- so watch the remaining two preliminaries before the Finals and Live Auction on Friday night! 

Today's Miss Deaf America Preliminary consisted of three main events: the presentation, the artistic expression and the presence, poise and interview. The women are split in three groups and will be rotating among the three events leading up to the finale on Friday! 

The women that presented today gave great insights on certain things such as volunteering, advocacy and being able to do more for your community. The artistic event was full of contestants who decided to express their art by translating music and every contestant inspired the audience members. During the final event, the women dressed in their best attire, while demonstrating their presence and poise to the crowd and answering several questions. One question was what qualities they felt the next NAD President should have. "A great sense of leadership and a deep understanding of deaf culture," said Chanel Gleicher of Maryland. Other contestants shared similar answers and all felt that the next NAD President should be aware of the needs of the community and strive to meet those needs. The room was full of Miss Deaf America enthusiasts and admiring family and friends who cheered from the beginning to the very end!  

Congratulations to all 14 Miss Deaf America contestants- we’ll be seeing more from them throughout the week!