Pet monkey, Rockette, Tebow dreams for Miss America hopefuls
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Many of the 52 contestants in this year’s Miss America pageant want to cure diseases, end bullying, succeed in business or launch careers that will make them famous.
But the secret wish of one is to own a pet monkey, another’s career goal is to work with penguins at a zoo exhibit, and a third wants to sit next to Anna Wintour at New York Fashion Week.
One wants to be the first lady of her state, one wants to be a backup dancer for Beyoncé, one wants to be a Rockette, and still another wants to meet former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow and work at one of his orphanages in the Philippines.
Then there is the woman hoping to become the first openly lesbian Miss America, and a contestant who can rattle off the names of all the U.S. presidents in chronological order in under 20 seconds.