Norwin grad, business owner wins Miss Pennsylvania USA title
A Norwin graduate and owner of two boutique shops in Westmoreland County was crowned Miss Pennsylvania USA this weekend, giving her the chance to compete for Miss USA.
Victoria Piekut, 23, of North Huntingdon — who owns Wight Elephant Boutique in Irwin and Greensburg — competed against 35 women for the title at the Richland Performance Arts Center near Johnstown. The competition, which ran Nov. 2 and 3, consisted of a personal interview, swimsuit and evening gown contests.
“Pageantry has aided in my personal and professional growth and has opened me to a world of empowered women who love to support one another,” Piekut said prior to the competition. “I’m excited to share my story this weekend with the judges and, hopefully, inspire women of all ages to chase after their dreams.”
Piekut has been competing in the pageant circuit since 2012, when she started in National American Miss, a pageant based on fostering a positive self-image, according to the website.
Through the system, she was crowned National American Miss Pennsylvania Teen in 2014. The following year, she won the International Junior Miss Pennsylvania Teen crown, as well as the 2015 International Junior Miss Teen crown and the International Junior Miss Teen Talent title for opera singing.
With those titles, she was able to travel the country — and to Europe and the Bahamas — while doing volunteer work throughout Pittsburgh and North Huntingdon.
After opening Wight Elephant Boutique in 2016, Piekut further immersed herself in pageantry by becoming an official wardrobe provider for the Miss America organization. Two years later, she decided to compete in the Miss Pennsylvania USA pageant for the first time, winning the second runner-up title.
In an April interview with the Tribune-Review, Piekut said, “I would love the opportunity to go to Miss USA and kind of shed light because, when you go, you get to talk about your hometown and get featured. I would love to bring that recognition to downtown Irwin in general.”
Piekut competed against other women from the Pittsburgh area, including Kirsten Brangman, 21; Kelly Cahill, 25; Taylor Cook, 26; Victoria Humphrey, 27; Kaitlyn Meising, 24 and Leigha Pertz, 21.
A date for the Miss USA 2020 pageant has not been set. Winners of that competition can go on to compete for Miss Universe.
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