HEY did y’all know an accounting major appeared on Miss America 2.0 last night? Yeah, I wouldn’t have known either were it not for an astute GC reader excitedly tweeting us the news.
Miss Missouri is an accounting major. She automatically has my vote. @going_concern #MissAmerica2019
— Pat Sheridan (@accountingninja) September 10, 2018
Waves HI, PAT!
After 97 years, the revamped Miss America contest this year boasts itself as the first year candidates “will no longer be judged on outward appearance,” likely making it a home run for any aspiring CFO out there. Unfortunately, that wasn’t how it shook out for Miss Missouri Katelyn Lewis, but we’re going to celebrate her anyway because just how often do we get to write a story about an accounting major losing a beauty contest? The last time I recall us addressing the issue was in 2012 when a Deloitte tax consultant was crowned Miss San Francisco, so I guess the answer to my question is six years.
Anyhoo, back to Miss Missouri. Katelyn Lewis is a senior at Missouri Baptist University, receiving a BS in Accounting. Her resume boasts a veritable smörgåsbord of charitable work, including with Jelly Bean Foundation, Ronald McDonald House, SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Foundation, and Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri. Somehow even with all of this on her plate, she still has time to pursue her accounting degree and plans to prepare for the CPA exam right after graduation, with her ultimate career goal being a career as a CFO.
For her efforts, she scored a $20,000 scholarship. It’s also worth noting that it took four years of trying for her to win Miss Missouri, which just goes to show it pays to commit when you’re absolutely sure you know what you want to achieve. We wouldn’t be surprised if her name pops up here again as an Elijah Watt Sells winner but, you know, it’s not a competition or anything.
