PRINCETON REVIEW AUTHOR VIES FOR MISS AMERICAN CROWN
Author of The Princeton Review's Girls Guide to the SAT and the current Miss Virginia, Nancy Redd shows how to put beauty and brains to work to help educate our nation's kids

NEW YORK, NY September 10, 2003 -- Early feminists criticized beauty pageants as being demeaning to women, but this year's Miss Virginia, who is vying for the Miss America crown, sees no conflict between beauty and brains. Nancy Redd epitomizes both: she's a Harvard graduate with a degree in women's studies, one of the authors of The Princeton Review's book "Girl's Guide to the SAT," a talented pianist and an African-American woman with clearly defined goals and aspirations.

And Nancy Redd believes she can help others have the same opportunities. She plans to use a portion of her Miss America prize money to bring educational programs to the rural high school in Martinsville, Virginia from which she graduated. Hard hit by factory closings and the shift to foreign labor, Martinsville has one of the highest unemployment rates in the state.

Redd is working closely with The Princeton Review, a leading provider of test preparation and admissions services, to develop programs to help disadvantaged students receive SAT preparation and improve their chances of being accepted to the colleges of their choice.

She's also spearheaded the "Dream Big Opportunity Fund" at Laurel Park High School, where her brother Sammy Redd is a guidance counselor. When Nancy Redd won the title of Miss Virginia in June 2003, she donated a portion of her winnings so that every graduating senior would receive a stipend towards their post secondary education, vocational training or work apprenticeship. "The grant can be used to waive a college application fee, travel for an overnight college visit, buy clothes for an interview, defray the cost of taking the SAT. This sort of goal may not be big news in some places, but at a school like ours - with a predominately minority, poor and working class population, it is a "big dream, says Redd."

Redd, a firm believer that preparation is the key to success, boosted her own SAT scores by more than 200 points to be accepted to Harvard, by using many of The Princeton Review techniques. She also prepared for the Miss America pageant by losing more than 50 pounds in one year on a low carbohydrate diet.

Nancy Redd is a determined woman who focuses on a goal and doesn't let go until she succeeds. She has already impressed pageant judges. She was "crowned" Miss Marriott's Children's Champion for raising the most money for the Children's Miracle Network; and was named one of eight finalists for the prestigious Miss America Quality of Life Community Service Award, which will be announced during Pageant Week.

Redd has received many other awards and titles. She was named one of Glamour Magazine's Top Ten College Women in America, and one of Harvard Magazine's Six Estimable Harvard Seniors, and L'Oreal Cosmetics "Beauty of Giving" Young Woman of the Year. She also won $250,000 on the television program Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and at the program's closing, spontaneously donated 10 percent of her winnings to an endowment supporting 4H activities for the teens in her hometown.

Redd attributes the 4H club for helping her evolve from an underachiever to the focused and goal oriented person she is today. She has made 4H, one of the oldest and largest youth development programs in the U.S., the cornerstone of her Miss America platform.

Empowerment is also the focus of the Princeton Review book that Redd helped write, "Girls Guide to the SAT." It addresses another women's issue: for nearly 40 years, girls, on average, have scored about 40 points lower than boys on the SAT, although they continually get better grades in high school and college. This has cost girls' college admissions, scholarships and financial aid, and other opportunities. The book provides girls with practical, empowering advice on how they can use their skills and strengths to get the scores they deserve.

Nancy's focus on education is a good fit for The Miss America Organization, which began awarding scholarships to contestants in 1945. This year's 51 contestants have already earned scholarships by winning state and local competitions, and are competing for more than $500,000 in scholarships while they are in Atlantic City.

Whether or not Nancy Redd is crowned Miss America on Sept. 20, she has already made an impact on her community as a role model who lets nothing keep her from attaining her dreams, no matter how big.

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