Brittany York
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Brittany York |
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| Born | April 16, 1989 |
| Ethnicity | Caucasian |
| Nationality | American |
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| Body type | Slim |
| Hair | Blonde |
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Brittany Leigh York (born April 16, 1989) in Colonial Heights, Virginia, is an American beauty queen who won the title of Miss North Carolina USA 2011 and competed in Miss USA 2011.
Early life
York was born and raised in the small town of Colonial Heights, Virginia to parents, Richard and Marcie York. When York was a teenager her family moved to the coastal town of, Wilmington, North Carolina. York has three brothers and often describes herself as being a tom boy. York played soccer and ran track at Colonial Heights Middle School and as she reflected on her childhood during an interview she said, "I was always very athletic, and I always wanted to do boyish things... I liked playing in the mud". In another interview she was asked to choose between, four wheeling in the mud or having a mud mask at a spa and she admitted that she's, "never done the whole mud mask thing, but I've had mud masks from four wheeling", she exclamied. York graduated from Eugene Ashley High School in Wilmington, North Carolina and is currently studying zoology and majoring in veterinary medicine at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina. York is of Italian and Irish ancestry.
Pageants
Brittany York moments after being crowned Miss North Carolina USA 2011.
York won the title of Miss North Carolina USA 2011 in a state pageant themed, "Diamonds and Pearls", held at The High Point Theatre in High Point, North Carolina on November 6, 2010. This was York's first time competing in a beauty pageant and she says that she has been, "absolutely amazed" by her win and a little overwhelmed by her instant, local celebrity status. "I can't even go to the grocery store without people stopping me, asking to take pictures with me," York says in disbelief.
While, many individuals felt that York was an unlikely candidate for the Miss North Carolina USA crown, due to her lack of experience, she easily proved them wrong. Pageant veteran Erin Hendricks who was Miss North Carolina Teen USA 2003 was the front runner and favorite among many spectators. Hendricks would end up placing first runner up for the second year at the Miss North Carolina USA pageant. York got in contact with fashion designer, Gregory Ellenberg, who she purchased her evening gown from and says that he offered to coach and work with her as much as she wanted. York says that she traveled to Greenville, South Carolina every chance she got to meet with Ellenberg. Once there, "We walked and walked and talked about interview to everything else imaginable. I was so prepared for the Miss North Carolina USA pageant that I couldn’t believe it", York says about the outcome of working with Ellenberg. With a mixture of advice and wardrobe guidance from pageant expert, Gregory Ellenburg, natural charisma, perfect stage presence, and a little bit of luck York beat out sixty one girls, and proved the typical beauty pageant stereotype wrong as she was crowned Miss North Carolina USA 2011. Of course, York doesn't deny the fact that being a newcomer in the pageant world was difficult, "This was my first pageant and I had so many people say you don’t know what you’re doing, your not going to make top fifteen and it just made me want to work that much harder to show them that I could, to show myself that I could... if you’re willing to put the time and the effort and the dedication necessary you can do whatever you want" she said.
Miss North Carolina USA
Brittany York posing for the camera during the official Miss North Carolina USA photoshoot.
Miss North Carolina USA is involved with a group of charitable alliances including, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, United Services Organization, Special Olympics, and Best Buddies. York is an ambassador for the United Services Organization of North Carolina.
York traveled to Texas where she was invited to be on an episode of Miss Wildgame Nation along with Miss Louisiana USA 2011, Page Pennock.
York then traveled to Lynchburg, Virginia to attend a StandOut Productions Retreat hosted by former Miss USA, Chelsea Cooley and A.T. Dunn. The activities included horseback riding, rock climbing, and roller hockey just to name a few of the activities that were offered. The retreat also gave York a chance to meet some of the other Miss USA 2011 contestants.
On February 12, 2011 York appeared in her first television interview on The Debra Kennedy Show where she discussed her new responsibility as a role model, what it took to prepare for the pageant, and her future goals. During the show she revealed that she was working with fashion designer, Gregory Ellenburg on her evening gown for the Miss USA pageant.
York attended the Valentine’s for Veterans concert in Raleigh, North Carolina.
In support of the Special Olympics York attended the 7th Annual Polar Plunge at Carolina Beach, North Carolina. York was also a guest at the Special Olympics Bowling Tournament in Raleigh, North Carolina and at the Special Olympics Alpine Skiing and Snowboarding Event in Boone, North Carolina.
York took part in Charlotte STYLE Magazine’s 25 Most Stylish Event by modeling for the “Go Red Celebrity Fashion Show". A portion of the proceeds supported the American Heart Association.
York participated in Relay for Life Kids Walk in Murfreesboro, North Carolina on April 16, 2011, which also happens to be her birthday.
On April 17, 2011 York was featured on an episode of Byline: Wilmington, a television talk show that highlights local people, places, and events in and around Wilmington, North Carolina, hosted by Donn Ansell. It was quickly pointed out that the Miss North Carolina USA pageant was York's first and Ansell inquired about how she became interested in competing. "Honestly, it was kind of spur of the moment", York says as she explains that she knew a girl that competed last year. The attitude that York then embraced was, “if she can do it I can do it", which is exactly what she did. Even if York didn't win it is evident that she would have been back. You can hear York's competitive nature as she says, "I was dead set on making Top Fifteen my first go around, and if I didn’t win this time I was definitely going to come back and try again next year". Ansell comments on York's attractiveness and poses the question, "Do you think that some folks underestimate or misjudge women who participate in events like the Miss USA pageant"? York responds with, "Oh, absolutely... before I did a pageant I had a certain mindset about pageant girls", she admits. York goes on to say, "There’s a stereotype that we are just a pretty face, that's all we do. But I have a very high grade point average, I’m a pre-veterinarian major at one of the best vet schools in the nation. So we’re not just a pretty face". When asked if it was expensive to compete York admitted that it was, but pointed out that, “You can do it cost effectively. People think you have to spend tons of money, but it’s not true". When the interview turned to the amount of wardrobe required for the Miss USA pageant York said, "I’ll probably spend about $500 shipping it out there… unless I get FedEx to sponsor me", she joked. York reflects on entering the pageant and says, "I'm always trying to challenge myself, so this was just a new experience... I went to have fun. I didn’t necessarily know what I was doing, I had an idea but I had never been through anything like this". Ansell then asked York if she viewed the pageant as an opportunity. "It definitely is an opportunity. I’ve gotten several scholarship opportunities, job opportunities, fun opportunities… so many opportunities I never would’ve gotten if I didn’t have this title", York says appreciatively. It is clear that York wants to take home the Miss USA crown as she explains that she, “did Miss North Carolina USA as a stepping stone to Miss USA… it’s all just stepping stones”, and York’s philosophy is, “I’m trying to live my Miss North Carolina title as if I’m already Miss USA”. With that attitude and desire to win there is no doubt that York will place at the Miss USA pageant. After all York will be the first to tell you, “I’m very competitive. I give everything my all, I want to win”.
The Miss North Carolina USA pageant is a part of RPM Productions. York's sister titleholders are: Miss South Carolina USA, Courtney Turner, Miss Louisiana USA, Page Pennock, Miss North Carolina Teen USA, Vanessa McClelland, Miss South Carolina Teen USA, Keyla Childs, and Miss Louisiana Teen USA, Elizabeth Heinen.
Miss USA
The Miss USA 2011 Pageant will be held on June 19, 2011 at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. York will compete against fifty young women from across the United States for the chance to win the coveted crown and title of Miss USA. There have only been two women from the state of North Carolina to ever bring home the crown, Chelsea Cooley in 2005 and Kristen Dalton in 2009. At the end of the night Miss USA 2010, Rima Fakih will crown her successor.
Personal life
York currently resides in Raleigh, North Carolina and frequently visits her parents in Alabama. As someone who wants to go to vet school it is no surprise that York is a huge animal lover and often talks about her golden retriever, Lacie and german shepherd, Riley.
