Hillary May, a 23-year-old Pike Creek resident and a graduate student at the University of Delaware, was crowned Miss Delaware 2019 Sunday night during the organization’s annual competition at Cape Henlopen High School.
May competed as Miss Hockessin, besting 12 contestants to win the coveted crown. She has been performing in dance, vocal and theatre since elementary school and last night performed “She Could Have Danced All Night” for the judges in the talent portion of the contest.
Miss Greenville Nia Andrews, 24, placed as 1st runner up. Andrews is a dance performer and has won numerous pageant awards through the years. Andrews, who was raised in Philadelphia, graduated from West Chester University and will attend UD in the fall to obtain her Master’s degree as a nurse practitioner.
As Miss Delaware 2019, May will travel across the state speaking on her social impact initiative, “Let’s Talk, Breaking the Stigma Surrounding Mental Illness,” and promoting the Children’s Miracle Network, the national platform partner of the Miss America Organization.
She will spend her year of service speaking with and advocating before the media, public officials, civic and charitable groups and others and will go on to compete for the title of Miss America 2020 — date and location to be announced later this year.
May is earning her Ph.D. at UD’s School of Education and hopes to become a programmer for a PBS children’s show that focuses on educational learning. Raised in Indiana, May received a B.A. in Psychology, with honors from Butler University.
May says she loves the mountains. Impressed with her visit to Rehoboth Beach this weekend – her first to Delaware’s shoreline – May says she is enthusiastic about returning to Delaware’s beaches this summer to soak in the sun.
Along with the title of Miss Delaware, Hillary won a $10,000 scholarship to further her education. This year, the Miss Delaware Organization provided over $35,000 in scholarship opportunities for its candidates.
