Meet Purchase's Miss New York USA Candidate

Stage fright shouldn't be a problem when Victoria Hill takes to the stage for the this weekend—she's been through this kind of thing before.

The pageant part not so much—this is her first venture there—but the senior has been on the Purchase Performing Arts Center stage before while working with one of the school's musical theatre programs. Hill has also seen the stage with her band, The EMP's, who perform in New York City, so being the center of attention comes naturally to the California native.

"It will be fun," said Hill. "I can't wait to see what happens and what opportunities I'm going to find."

Hill, a Political Science major at Purchase, hopes the pageant will help her make some new connections as she enters the job market upon graduation this May. She had never thought of joining the Miss New York USA pageant until a friend of a friend scouted her this fall. Since then she has been looking forward to the opportunity to meet a few new people, while trying something new.

"It's a good way to expose yourself to a different industry," Hill said. "In this day and age the more people you know the better, so it's a great opportunity to find my strengths and perfect them."

Hill’s only previous knowledge of pageants was learned from movies and television shows, so she didn’t know what to expect in the weeks leading up to the pageant. But she said her interactions with contestants from all over New York State have been nothing but positive.

"I was expecting some cattiness," she said. "But it's a great group of girls."

The location of the pageant also offers a unique opportunity for Hill, as she will participate walking distance from her on-campus apartment at Purchase. Since she attends the school, Hill also expects a few familiar faces in the audience.

While she looks forward to the busy weekend ahead, Hill said she has other goals on the horizon as well. She hopes to start a career in journalism after graduation while also continuing performances with her band. She plans to move to New York City to start both this spring.

But before all that, Hill hopes to take a couple of days to enjoy the limelight at this weekend's pageant.

"It's going to be a very long, very exhausting weekend," Hill said. "But it will be fun I'm sure."