(Indianapolis, IN) - An area schoolteacher was just crowned Miss Indiana and will compete next month for a Miss America title.

 

Recently New Carlisle’s Hannah Stombaugh won the National American Miss Indiana Pageant down in Indianapolis. National American Miss is a brand of pageant unlike those of yesteryear with swimsuits and generic interview answers. “This system is all about female empowerment, interview skills, and opportunities,” Stombaugh explained.  “I like what it stands for—not just outward beauty, but actual skills and personal development.” She competed for three days in various categories. “I got to do evening gown, a personal introduction statement, and an interview.” She was chosen out of 15 young women to represent the Hoosier State at the national pageant in November in Orlando, Florida.

 

The 23-year-old Stombaugh says she started doing pageants a few years ago as a way of promoting a special cause. “I wanted to spread awareness about sudden cardiac arrest,” Stombaugh said. “When given the opportunity to compete, you have to have a cause.” Stombaugh says Jake West’s mom Julie was her gym teacher, and she was a classmate of Mark Mayfield, who also died of sudden cardiac arrest. “I didn’t feel that enough change was happening and not enough awareness in the community.” Stombaugh has been working with the Play for Jake Foundation, Bolt for the Heart, and the American Heart Association to spread awareness about AED and CPR usage.

 

A 2018 New Prairie grad, Stombaugh now teaches school at Prairie View Elementary. She says competing in pageants has been good practice for keeping the attention of second graders. “Teaching is kind of like pageantry,” Stombaugh admitted with a giggle. “You are on stage in front of a bunch of kids, and you are public speaking.”

 

Stombaugh is spending the coming months making some public appearances locally and around the state. Several of those stops will involve more than wearing a tiara and politely waving. She’ll be teaching CPR classes.