Newly Crowned Miss America Is Formerly From Walnut Creek!

A woman who graduated high school in Walnut Creek was crowned Miss America on Sunday night while representing the state of New York.

Kira Kazantsev, 22, was crowned Miss America 2015 during a Sunday night televised broadcast capping off the competition in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Kazantsev graduated from Las Lomas High School in Walnut Creek before moving to New York to attend Hofstra University, according to her profile on MissAmerica.org.

For the talent part of the competition, Kazentsev performed Pharrell’s “Happy” with the aid of a red plastic cup, prompting both praise and criticism on social media.

As Miss America 2015, Kazantsev will take part in a speaking tour to discuss her platform, “Love Shouldn’t Hurt: Protecting Women Against Domestic Violence.”

In addition to the title, the former Walnut Creek resident earned a $50,000 scholarship to further her education and will serve as a spokeswoman for education for the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C.

--Bay City News

--Image courtesy of Miss New York profile available here.