Kira Kazantsev facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kira Kazantsev
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Kazantsev in March 2015
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| Born | 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.
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Early Life and School
Kira Kazantsev was born in San Francisco, California. Her parents moved to the United States from Moscow in 1990. This means Kira was the first in her family born in America. Her father, George, is a doctor who performs surgeries. Her mother, Julia, helps people buy and sell homes. Kira also has a younger brother named Boris.
Kira is very good with languages. She can speak English, Russian, and Spanish.
High School and College Years
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. She also joined a sorority called Alpha Phi. However, she later left the sorority due to university rules.
During her third year at Hofstra, Kira studied abroad in Barcelona, Spain. After graduating from Hofstra, she wanted to go to law school. She was accepted to Notre Dame Law School and Fordham Law School. After winning Miss America, she said she wanted to become an international lawyer. This means she would work with laws that affect different countries.
Learning About Business
In the summer of 2017, Kira went to the Stanford Graduate School of Business. She completed a program called Stanford Ignite. This program teaches people how to create, develop, and sell new ideas.
Winning Beauty Pageants
Kira started competing in beauty pageants when she was young.
First Pageant Wins
When she was 13, she was named Miss California Preteen. At 16, she became Miss California Jr.
Becoming Miss New York
In 2013, Kira competed in the Miss New York pageant as Miss Cosmopolitan. She made it into the top 10 finalists. The next year, she tried again in the Miss New York 2014 pageant. This time, she was Miss City of New York. She won the title of Miss New York 2014. The previous Miss New York, Amanda Mason, crowned her.
Winning Miss America 2015
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In September 2014, Kira represented New York in the Miss America 2015 pageant. The competition was held in Atlantic City, New Jersey. There were 52 contestants from different states.
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 was a first for any state! Along with the title, Kira received a $50,000 scholarship. She planned to use this money for law school.
Kira's Role as Miss America
As Miss America, Kira became a special ambassador for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. This organization helps sick children. She also worked to promote her cause, "Love Shouldn't Hurt." She partnered with Safe Horizon to start the #PutTheNailinIt campaign. This campaign aimed to raise awareness about family violence. People painted their ring fingernail purple to show support.
Kira also appeared at several big events. She was a presenter at the American Music Awards in 2014. She also presented at the American Country Countdown Awards and the Academy of Country Music Awards. In 2015, she presented at the Billboard Music Awards with Pete Wentz.
Kira was also the first Miss America in 35 years to travel with the United Service Organizations (USO). She visited military troops in other countries.
Kira's Career
Today, Kira works as the Director of Digital Channels and Community Engagement for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.
Podcasting and Sports Reporting
In November 2017, Kira started a podcast called "What We Do." Each week, she talks with women about different challenges and experiences in their lives.
In 2021, she joined Golf Channel as a reporter. She covers many events during the PGA Tour season. She also appears on shows like Golf Today and Golf Central. Before this, she was a lifestyle reporter for GolfPass.
In 2022, Kira began covering US Swim Meets for NBC Sports. She reported on events like the International Team Trials and the National Championships. In 2023, she reported for the FINA World Championships. She also worked with Sky Sports at the 2023 PGA Championship.
Personal Life
On September 4, 2018, Kira announced that she was engaged to Andrew Dixon. Andrew is a Marine. The couple got married on September 21, 2019, in Alexander Valley, California.
