Ada Dieke, a UA Masters in Public Health student, never saw herself running for any sort of a pageant – but she will be traveling to West Africa this summer to represent Arizona in the Miss Black USA pageant.
“”I always knew with her energetic spirit and her strong drive and passion for helping minorities in the community that she would fit well in the Miss Black USA pageant,”” said Rowena Campbell, a graduate student in Pharmacology, who convinced Dieke to join the Miss Black Arizona competition last month.
Although Dieke had never entered a pageant before, she became interested in it because of what the organization stands for.
“”They really promote well-roundedness in women,”” Dieke said. “”I thought I could use it to bring more attention to issues affecting the
community through me, I saw it more as a service title.””
The organization is for women who are strong, empowered and educated, and who serve as positive role models to other women of color, according to the Miss Black USA Web site.
Dieke ran on a platform promoting what she coined, Project R.E.V.I.V.A.L, (Restoring
Dieke has big dreams of starting a public health magazine as well as a production company that will promote positive messages and help people in all parts of the world with health care.
Ego and Virtue in Visions of African Legacy), to celebrate the “”beauty of the African diaspora”” through music, dance, media and literature.
She is also interested in the UA public health Doctoral program and feels that this pageant is helping her build more skills to prepare her for it.
Dieke has big dreams of starting a public health magazine as well as a production company that will promote positive messages and help people in all parts of the world with health care.
Applicants were reviewed for their academics, submitted a biography, and went through an interview process. Dieke was crowned Miss Black Arizona on Dec. 6.
“”I never saw myself in a pageant but have always admired those girls that were in them,”” Dieke said. “”They had so much poise and grace and they were so articulate.””
Dieke will be representing Arizona and the UA in the national competition in Gambia, West Africa in July.
Dieke graduated from University High School in Tucson and received her B.S. in general biology from the UA. She is pursuing her Masters Degree in Public Health with a Maternal and Child Health Focus at the Zuckerman College of Public Health.
Dieke has already made her first public appearance as Miss Black Arizona . She gave the welcoming speech at the opening events for the Martin Luther King Jr. series of celebrationsJan 3.
There was no crowning process for Miss Black Arizona, but Dieke will be going through the full pageantry process for the national competition. The preliminaries will take place in Washington, D.C., which consists of a closed interview, an open question and answer session, a fitness contest, a talent showcase, and evening gown.
Last year’s Miss Black USA winner received $20,000 in scholarship money.
