Ashley Bickford was crowned Miss Rhode Island 2007, June 30 th at the Stadium Theatre in Woonsocket, RI. Ashley is a 22 year old graduate of Salve Regina University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting and resides full time in Newport, RI. Ashley is currently pursuing an accelerated Master's Degree of Business Administration also at Salve Regina University. In addition to numerous cash scholarships that Ashley won as Miss Rhode Island, she also received a full graduate school scholarship to pursue her Master's degree from Salve Regina University. In fact, Miss America is the largest provider of scholarships for women in the world. Ashley is the daughter of Gerald and Kim Bickford of Torrington, CT and is a 2003 graduate of Torrington High School. Ashley's personal community service platform is the kNOw HIV/AIDS Campaign. In fact, earlier this year, Ashley traveled to Ghana, West Africa to serve as an International AIDS volunteer there. Ashley also vigorously supports the national platform of Miss America, the Children’s Miracle Network through numerous service activities and fundraising initiatives. She has also served as a national Americorps volunteer, SRU Student Government Senator, American Red Cross HIV/AIDS Instructor and Executive Director of Operations for Dancing for Children, an AIDS fundraising and awareness event. Ashley is especially proud of the African Women's Micro-Finance Coalition she founded to extend small business grants to African women to improve the quality of their lives forever. Ashley’s scholastic ambitions include earning her CPA certification and Juris Doctorate. Ashley’s career ambition is to become CEO of an international non-profit organization. Some of Ashley's scholastic honors include being a four time Dean's Academic Scholarship recipient at Salve Regina University, a VIA Scholar, the National Dean's List, Who's Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities, International Collegiate Scholar - Delegation on Business, Bertha Temple Scholarship recipient and member of the Alpha Mu Alpha Honor Society. Ashley's accomplishments include the Feinstein Enriching America Award, President's Volunteer Service Award, Congressional Award for Volunteer Public Service, Who's Who in America 2007, Who's Who Among American Women 2005, Miss America State Community Service Award, Raise Your Voice Campaign “Real Change” Grant Recipient and the Salve Regina Living Mercy Award. During her college career, Ashley spent a summer living in Rome, Italy while studying abroad at the American University of Rome. She is a classically trained ballerina having studied the art for the past 15 years under the direction of her mother, Kim Bonasera Bickford. Throughout her college career, Ashley also performed with the Salve Regina Dance Company. She has also earned awards for her interpretations of “The Dying Swan” and the “Kitri Variation” from Don Quixote. Ashley has walked the runway in New York City's Fashion Week, as well as modeled internationally with such companies as Venus Swimwear, Hawaiian Tropic, and the world renowned Chelsea Football Club. She is currently employed as an Accounting and Auditing Intern at the CPA Firm Kahn, Litwin, Renza & Co. based out of Providence, Rhode Island. At the Miss Rhode Island pageant Ashley took home the Miss America State Academic Award, the Dance Award, the Lifestyle and Fitness Award, the Presence and Poise Award as well as the Interview Award. Ashley has worked hard to exemplify the four points of Miss America crown – Scholarship, Style, Success and Service. Ashley previously held the title Miss Connecticut Teen USA 2002 and placed 6 th nationally during the Miss Teen USA pageant broadcast live on CBS. Ashley will head to Los Angeles in October to film for a reality television series leading up to the final night of the pageant. Miss America will be held January 26, 2008 at the Planet Hollywood Resort Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada and broadcast nationally on TLC.
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