Twenty-three year old Mallory Hagan, the newly crowned Miss America, hails from Opelika, AL.
Hagan attended Auburn University before moving to Brooklyn, NY in 2008.
AL.com said Hagan was "a runner-up with the Miss Alabama's Outstanding Teen & Miss Alabama Scholarship Competitions."
She currently attends The Fashion Institute of Technology where she studies Advertising, Marketing and Communications.
MissNY.org said, "Mallory Hagan will be focusing her efforts on Child Sexual Abuse Awareness and Prevention, an issue that hits close to home. Hagan has chosen to honor the women in her family who have been victims of sexual abuse by sharing their personal stories and encouraging others to take a stand. Current partnerships include organizations such as Stop It Now!, Darkness to Light and Safe Horizon."
Hagan won over the judges with a lively tap dance to James Brown's "Get Up Offa That Thing" and a victory in the swimwear competition.
When faced with a difficult question about guns in light of the Newtown shootings, Hagan said, "I don't think the proper way to fight violence is with violence. I think the proper way is to educate people on guns and the ways we can use them properly. We can lock them up, we can have gun safety classes, we can have a longer waiting period."
Hagan wins a $50,000 scholarship and gets the crown for one year.
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