Prepared for the job
an studying engineering at Rowan help you become Miss America? Jamie Ginn, chemical engineering ’04, thinks so. In fact, as the newly crowned Miss Delaware, Ginn intends to change the face of the Miss America pageant.

“Miss America must be a businesswoman,” said Ginn, 24. A Delaware resident since 2004, she turned a DuPont internship into a full-time position with the international company.
“Right now, the Miss America program is struggling to find out who they are. I want to help the program become even more successful.”

Her Rowan classes and extracurricular activities developed the self-assuredness and stage presence that helped her become Miss Delaware, Ginn said. They’re the same skills Miss America needs, she noted.

“I did a lot of presentations, particularly in the College of Engineering,” said Ginn. “That, coupled with my involvement with the Rowan Contemporary Dance Company, helped me gain a whole other level of confidence.”

The oldest of six, Ginn, an Ocean City native, attended Rowan on a full tuition scholarship through the Miss New Jersey Education Foundation.

Though coursework was demanding, she found time to perform with the dance troupe and to organize three benefit walks to raise $15,000 for Crohn’s disease. Ginn’s sister, now 12, was diagnosed with Crohn’s six years ago.

“A Cure for Crohn’s and Colitis Can’t Wait” is Ginn’s platform as she serves as Miss Delaware. She has already visited Capitol Hill to urge lawmakers to pass the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Research Act, which would allocate funds to research the disease.

“I’ve seen my sister go through so much—medications, surgeries,” Ginn says. “All of these children are growing up being treated with harsh medications that affect not only their physical health, but also their psychological health.”

“Preparing for Miss America is a whole other job itself,” said Ginn, who is working on a dance routine for the pageant. “I had to develop my marketing plan and my strategy for being Miss America. You have to be ready should you step into the job.”

—By Barbar Baals