Indiana’s 1st Miss America entertains young fans, signs autographs at College Mall

A long line of little girls in crowns, bows and polka dots waited patiently Sunday afternoon. Twirling their hair and smoothing their skirts, they approached 22-year-old Katie Stam, anticipating an autograph, a smile and perhaps some inspiration.

Stam, Indiana’s first Miss America, signed autographs at College Mall on Sunday afternoon. The Seymour, Ind., native was crowned Jan. 24 in Las Vegas.

“It’s such a happy thing and an optimistic thing that she can make a difference,” said Cymme Jent, a Bloomington resident who came with her 9-year-old stepdaughter Meredith. “It’s kind of nice with a lot of depressing things going on in this economy. It’s free. It’s a happy thing.”

Some fans lined up a half hour before Stam’s appearance and ended up waiting an hour. Others were simply in the mall and joined the line to meet her.

Stam’s great aunt, Becky Hackman, watched the crowd from the side as her great niece greeted babies as young as 3 months old and women well older than 50.

Hackman and other family members have been following Stam’s tour around the state since she made her homecoming last week.

“We knew she had it,” Hackman said, who made the trip to Las Vegas in January when Stam competed in the pageant. “She’s never had a day off since.”

Stam said her job as Miss America includes appearances signing autographs, speaking to students and working as an advocate for Children’s Miracle Network, a nonprofit organization that raises funds for children’s hospitals.

Most days range from 15 to 18 hours, she said, as she constantly travels around the
country.

“It’s amazing how just talking to people and meeting people will really wear you out,” Stam said. “And I think a lot of people don’t realize how draining it really is.”
Stam’s main platform as Miss America is volunteering, an area of service that has taken a hit because of the economy, she said.

“Obviously the economy is definitely affecting volunteers, but what I’m trying to do is encouraging people that this is really the greatest opportunity for you to help out because that’s really what it’s going to take for us to turn this economy around,” Stam said. “... Forget about money. That’s what I want to do. I want to forget about money. I just want to be there to offer somebody something that they need.”

After her year-long reign as Miss America, Stam plans to go back to the University of Indianapolis to finish her degree in communications, a plan she calls “the only known right now for me.”

Stam plans to then work as a broadcast journalist and news anchor, but added she has several goals beyond that.

“I’m just kind of leaving it up to chance,” she said. “I’m waiting to see what happens, and then we’ll see where it goes.”

Stam said she remembers once being exactly like the little girls who now gaze wide-eyed at her.

She said she recalls thinking of Miss America as someone living out her dreams.
“Hopefully they’re looking at me kind of in the same way,” Stam said. “Hopefully they can look at it, I guess, as an inspiration.”

If 13-year-old Christiana Wilkerson is any indication of that goal, Stam might be successful.

“She’s gonna be like a role model to a lot of people,” Wilkerson said. “She wants to be your role model.”