4th Infantry Division Soldier wins Miss Colorado
FORT CARSON, COLO.-- Spc. Maura Spence, a Katy, Texas native and an intelligence analyst with 23rd Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, won first place in the Miss Colorado 2021 pageant, June 8, 2021.
Now known as Spc. Colorado by her unit’s executive officer, Spence is scheduled to attend the Miss America 2022 pageant in December 2021 at Mohegan Sun, Connecticut.
“Miss America is a two-week process,” explains Spence. “The first week is mostly rehearsals and... read more
FORT CARSON, COLO.-- Spc. Maura Spence, a Katy, Texas native and an intelligence analyst with 23rd Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, won first place in the Miss Colorado 2021 pageant, June 8, 2021.
Now known as Spc. Colorado by her unit’s executive officer, Spence is scheduled to attend the Miss America 2022 pageant in December 2021 at Mohegan Sun, Connecticut.
“Miss America is a two-week process,” explains Spence. “The first week is mostly rehearsals and taping interviews for the live show. The second week consists of private interviews, preliminary competitions, on-stage talent competition, red carpet and off-stage interviews.”
Throughout the entire process, Spence feels, “very lucky to have a chain of command that is so supportive.”
According to 1st Lt. Andrew Looss, her unit’s intelligence officer-in-charge, “Spc. Spence has a fire in her that makes her very proactive. She is a self-starter who is able to get tasks done with minimal oversight. Her responsibilities are far greater than what is expected from a specialist, and she exceeds them with ease. She is a team player and brings great energy to the battalion and the intelligence section.”
Two reasons for Spence’s drive to compete in Miss Colorado and Miss America is to spread awareness for mental health and to keep the memory and dreams of her departed sister alive.
“My older brother, Sam, who’s seven years older than I am, is autistic,” shares Spence. “Through the platform I’ve gained from competing in the Miss America pageant, I’ve been encouraging people to accept people with all sorts of disabilities.”
Additionally, Spence’s sister passed away in 2015, and was a “huge fan of Miss America.”
“I made her a promise at her funeral-- ‘One day, I’m going to take you to Miss America with me,’" Spence said. “Now that I’ve won Miss Colorado and am heading to Miss America, I feel like I’m fulfilling that promise to her.”
Spence and the 4th Infantry Division are hoping for a victory, but Spence maintains a humble perspective: “If I don’t win Miss America, I’ll still be Miss Colorado. Either way, I feel like I win if I get to represent my state and my country.”
https://dvidshub.net/r/pwqjg4
2021 MS. AMERICA CONTEST SHOUT-OUTS
Maura Spence-Carroll, Miss Colorado 2021, is an active-duty soldier in the U.S. Army stationed at Fort Carson, CO serving as an all source intelligence analyst (35F) in 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. SPC(P) Spence is the only active-duty Soldier participating in the 2021 Miss America Competition and if crowned, will be the first active- duty Soldier to win. Maura advocates for a greater understanding of mental health issues impacting the military and veteran communities. She is outspoken regarding her own experiences in receiving mental healthcare services. Encouraging service members to receive proactive mental healthcare, as well as advocating for interconnected policy and cultural changes within the military, are at the heart of her efforts.
This year’s Miss America contest will be held from December 12 through December 16 2021 at Mohegan Sun Resort located in Uncasville, Connecticut. This year will mark the 100th anniversary of the Miss America competition. The 4th Infantry Division is looking for your creative and inspiring shout-outs to cheer on SPC(P) Spence. A Feature page has been created on DVIDS and to ensure that your video makes it to the page, please tag your video with "CROWNTHESOLDIER" upon upload.
Link to the Feature page:
https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/misscolorado
Criteria for submission:
a. Submissions should be no more than 30 seconds in length. Video submission should be creative and must align with the Army values. Videos containing copyrighted or trademarked content, profanity, or inappropriate humor will not be accepted.
b. Videos must be uncompressed, High-Definition quality, .mov or .mp4 format.
c. Videos should be uploaded no later than December 13, 2021, but the sooner that they are uploaded the better.
Best practices:
a. Maximize personal connection. If Soldiers have struggled with mental health or know someone who has, see if they are willing to speak on the importance of mental health.
b. Videos cheering on SPC(P) Spence. Express the unit support of her efforts in the competition.
c. Videos that have performed very well in previous years typically include humorous skits.
d. In order to maximize time the allotted time, consider using an overlay graphic for your organization instead of a slate.
e. Aim to make a video that is exactly 00:29 IOT seamlessly fill a commercial slot if selected by larger networks. For questions or further information, please e-mail ireka.r.sanders.mil@army.mil or call at 504-338-1799.
We eagerly await your submissions and please feel free to contact us with any questions. Thank you in advance. show less
