Miss America 2014: 5 Things to Know About Kira Kazantsev

Former Miss New York was awarded the highly coveted crown last night

By Alyssa Toomey Sep 15, 2014 4:19 PMTags
Miss America 2015, Miss New YorkABC

Welcome to the spotlight, Kira Kazantsev

The former Miss New York wowed the judges at the annual beauty pageant last night and was crowned the impressive title of Miss America, taking home a $50,000 scholarship. 

But it wasn't just her bikini bod that earned the 23-year-old beauty the highly coveted tiara—Kazantsev also sang an impressive rendition of Pharrell Williams' smash hit single "Happy" all while performing the popular cups routine seen in Pitch Perfect. 

In addition to her talent, the blond bombshell also stressed the importance of shining a light on female sexual assault in the military when asked about a topic on which women in congress should all unite. 

And of course she looked stunning in her gown every time she strutted across the stage. Curious to know more about the gorgeous stunner who already has Anna Kendrick's stamp of approval? Here are five things to know about the newly crowned Miss America: 

1. She's a California Girl: While Kazantsev calls New York her home, she actually hails from California. The native beach babe moved to the Big Apple five years ago for college. 

2. She's Proud of Her "Cups" Routine (No Matter What the Critics May Say): It's easy to see that Kazantsev was inspired by the movie Pitch Perfect, but according to the beauty queen, she also wanted to show future contestants that it's important to stay true to yourself while performing your talent. "The reason why I chose to do that talent is I wanted every single little girl in America to be able to see that you can do that talent—you can do whatever talent you want on national television—even with a red cup—and still be Miss America and have the time of your life," Kazantsev said. "I literally in that minute and 30 seconds had the most fun I've ever had, and that's because I stayed true to myself and I did what I wanted to do for my talent, no matter what everybody else told me, and it paid off. I'm very happy about it."

3. She'll Soon Be Heading to Law School: Although Kazantsev will surely put her studies on hold while she fulfill her pageant duties, the 23-year-old has reportedly been accepted to Fordham University's Law School. According to her website, she "plans to pursue work in women's issues and international diplomacy," and she previously graduated from Hofstra University Honors College, where she triple-majored in political science, global studies and geography. 

4. She's Trilingual: The beauty queen, who is a daughter of Russian immigrants, speaks Russian, Spanish and English. "My parents left for a better life," she told the Press of Atlantic City. "They gave up everything to make a better life for me and my little brother." With regards to a recent trip to Russia she added: "It made me just appreciate the fact I am an American." 

5. She's Passionate About Raising Awareness for Domestic Violence Victims: Having gone through an abusive relationship in college, Kazantsev adopted domestic violence as her Miss America pageant platform. "I want people to stop asking, 'Why doesn't she just leave?'" the 23-year-old singer told NPR. "The main goal is to get people talking about it. If people are willing to talk about it, they're not scared of it, it's not taboo."

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