Right Celebrity

Meet Kirsten Haglund, the newly crowned Miss America from Michigan. See her biography, photos and video here.

Miss America Kirsten Haglund

The Miss America Pageant 2008 was held tonight, January 26, 2008, and Miss Michigan Kirsten Haglund was crowned the winner.

As a biography, Kirsten Haglund was born in Farmington Hills, Michigan on November 30, 1989. She is age 19. An aspiring Broadway star, she studies music at the University of Cincinnati. Her family has a history of pageant participation, with her grandmother competing for the Miss Michigan title in 1944 and her mother an active pageant volunteer.

On June 16, 2007, Kirsten was crowned Miss Michigan - her platform was raising awareness of eating disorders, something very personal after Haglund herself struggled with anorexia four years ago. She got help after her family’s intervention.

On January 26, 2008, Kirsten won the Miss America pageant and the accompanying $50,000 scholarship. For her talent, she performed “Over the Rainbow”. Before the finals, Haglund had also won the Lifestyle and Fitness award and a $1,000 scholarship.

There had been controversy surrounding this year’s pageant after the producers tried to modernize it and spice it up. They were accused of mocking the contestants in their quest for ratings.

See more photos of Kirsten Haglund and a video below.

Kirsten Haglund Photos