Kira Dixon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kira Dixon
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Dixon in March 2015
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Kira Kazantsev
July 20, 1991 San Francisco, California, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Hofstra University |
| Height | 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) |
| Title | Miss California Preteen 2004 Miss California Junior Teen 2007 Miss Cosmopolitan 2013 Miss City of New York 2014 Miss New York 2014 Miss America 2015 |
| Term | September 14, 2014 – September 13, 2015 |
| Predecessor | Nina Davuluri |
| Successor | Betty Cantrell |
| Spouse(s) | Andrew Dixon (m. 2019) |
Kira Dixon (born Kira Kazantsev on July 20, 1991) is an American who won the Miss America 2015 competition. She earned this title on September 14, 2014. Kira was the third person in a row from New York to win Miss America. Before that, she won the Miss New York title on May 24, 2014. At that time, she was known as Miss City of New York.
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Early Life and School Days
Kira Dixon was born in San Francisco, California. Her parents moved to the United States from Moscow, Russia, in 1990. This makes Kira a first-generation American. Her father, George, is a surgeon. Her mother, Julia, works as a real-estate broker. Kira's mother has Armenian family roots. Kira can speak three languages: English, Russian, and Spanish.
High School and College Education
Kira went to Las Lomas High School in Walnut Creek, California. She was the student body president in 2009. After high school, she attended Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. There, she studied three main subjects: political science, global studies, and geography.
While at Hofstra, Kira joined the Alpha Phi sorority. Later, the university removed her from the sorority. This happened because of concerns about certain group activities. After graduating from Hofstra, Kira wanted to study law. She was accepted into Notre Dame Law School and Fordham Law School. After becoming Miss America 2015, she shared her goal. She wanted to focus on international law after getting her law degree.
In the summer of 2017, Kira attended the Stanford Graduate School of Business. She completed the Stanford Ignite program. This program helps people learn how to create and develop new business ideas.
Kira's Pageant Journey
Kira Dixon has competed in several beauty pageants. These competitions helped her gain experience and confidence.
First Pageant Wins
When Kira was 13 years old, she won Miss California Preteen 2004. At age 16, she was named Miss California Junior Teen 2007.
Competing for Miss New York
In 2013, Kira competed in the Miss New York pageant. She was Miss Cosmopolitan 2013 and placed in the Top 10. The next year, she competed again as Miss City of New York 2014. This time, she won the title of Miss New York 2014. Amanda Mason, the previous Miss New York, crowned her.
Becoming Miss America 2015
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Kira represented New York in the Miss America 2015 pageant. This event took place in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in September 2014. There were 53 contestants in total. Her special cause, or "platform," was "Love Shouldn't Hurt." This platform focused on helping people in tough situations. Kira said her own experiences inspired her to choose this topic.
For the talent part of the competition, Kira sang "Happy" by Pharrell Williams. She used a red plastic cup to make percussion sounds. This was similar to a performance by Anna Kendrick in the movie Pitch Perfect.
During the on-stage question, she was asked about important issues for women in the senate. Kira said that supporting military members needed attention. She was happy that female politicians were already working on this. She was proud to be a voter for one of these women, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.
Kira was crowned by the outgoing Miss America 2014, Nina Davuluri. She won over the first runner-up, Miss Virginia 2014, Courtney Garrett. Kira was the third Miss New York in a row to win the Miss America title. This made New York the first state to have three Miss America winners in a row.
University Membership Issue
In September 2014, there were reports about Kira's time at Hofstra University. She had been removed from the Alpha Phi sorority. On Good Morning America, Kira said she was involved in activities that fit a broad definition of certain group rules. However, she denied any serious wrongdoing. She described the activities as "menial tasks." In her personal blog, Kira wrote that not attending a hearing was the official reason for her membership ending.
Kira's Role as Miss America
As Miss America, Kira Dixon became a special ambassador. She worked for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. She also continued to promote her platform, "Love Shouldn't Hurt." Kira teamed up with Safe Horizon to start the #PutTheNailinIt campaign. This campaign aimed to raise awareness about helping families stay safe. The campaign encouraged people to paint their ring fingernail purple to show support.
Kira appeared at several big events. On November 23, 2014, she was a presenter at the American Music Awards of 2014. She also presented at the American Country Countdown Awards on December 15, 2014. On April 19, 2015, she presented at the Academy of Country Music Awards. On May 17, 2015, she presented with Pete Wentz at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards.
Kira was also the first Miss America in 35 years to travel with the United Service Organizations (USO). She visited troops serving in other countries.
Kira's Career Today
Kira Dixon now works as the Director of Digital Channels and Community Engagement for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.
Podcast and Sports Reporting
In November 2017, Kira started a podcast called "What We Do." Each week, she talks with women about different life experiences. They discuss challenges, good moments, and funny moments.
In 2021, she joined Golf Channel as a reporter. She covers many events during the PGA Tour season. She also appears on Golf Today and Golf Central shows. She became a special writer for GolfPass. Before this, she was a lifestyle correspondent for GolfPass.
In 2022, Kira began covering US swim meets for NBC. This included the International Team Trials in April and the National Championships in July. In 2023, she reported for the FINA World Championships. In 2024, she worked as a sideline reporter for some college basketball games for NBC Sports. In 2023, she also worked with Sky Sports at the 2023 PGA Championship.
Personal Life
On September 4, 2018, Kira Dixon announced her engagement. She was engaged to her long-time boyfriend, Andrew Dixon, who is a Marine. The couple got married on September 21, 2019. Their wedding took place in Alexander Valley, California.
