PROF I L E
Patricia Ford
DANCER • PAGEANT WINNER • ACTIVIST
Recently crowned Miss Georgia 2016, Patricia Ford is poised to compete for the crown of Miss America in September. Beneath her calm, cool exterior is an incredible drive. “I am competitive, I admit it,” she says. “Growing up, I spent a lot of time at the Atlanta Professional Dance Academy in Johns Creek. I was there after school most days and I loved it.” There, she studied classical ballet technique, but with a twist. “They taught Chinese folk dance there, too,” she explains, “so I learned to combine the two forms of dance.” She learned it well—so well that she chose to dance for the talent portion of the Miss Georgia competition. “My mom came to America from China in 1987. The Chinese culture is a huge part of my life. At the dance academy, there were teachers and lots of other dancers’ moms who were Chinese, too. We even got to fly to China once to compete on their version of ‘America’s Got Talent.’ It taught me to embrace people with diverse backgrounds.”
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PHOTO COURTESY OF MATT BOYD PHOTOGRAPHY, HAIR & MAKEUP BY MEREDITH BOYD COSMETICS.
I like to say, “I DO MY BEST
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AND LET GOD DO THE REST.”
When asked how she ended up competing in pageants in the first place, she laughs. “A sorority sister in college convinced me that I should give it a try. She loaned me her evening gown, her dance music, everything I needed to enter the pageant.” She won the Miss Cherokee Rose pageant in 2013 and has competed in other pageants as well. “In the Miss Georgia pageant, I felt at peace. I knew I was prepared and I gained a lot of confidence because of that. I could just be myself. I like to say, ‘I do my best and let God do the rest.’”
She’s excited to go to Atlantic City, New Jersey, this fall to compete in the Miss America Pageant. She says she’s nervous about the exhausting week-long schedule before the big night, but “I’ve met all the ladies and now I have a friend in every state!” As part of her duties as Miss Georgia 2016, Ford helps fundraise for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. “It’s a cause near and dear to my heart, I’m so proud to raise awareness about their miracle stories.” Learn more about Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals at MissAmericaForKids.org/Donate/ PatriciaFord.
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7/29/16 3:52 PM