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BIDDEFORD, Maine

UNE's Julia Furtado, Miss Maine 2011, competes for public's vote for Miss America 2012

Julia Furtado, a University of New England applied exercise science major ('13) from Dayton, and Miss Maine 2011, will soon travel to Las Vegas to participate in the 2012 Miss America Pageant, slated for January 14.  

As part of the national competition, the public can cast a vote for the contestant they hope will make it to the final round.  In a video posted on the Miss America website, Furtado asks for the community's vote of support to help her achieve her goal of being crowned Miss America. 

In the video, Furtado says, "I've always believed that taking small daily steps in exercise and nutrition leads to a healthier lifestyle. Growing up, I always 'stepped up' to leadership roles in my schools and in my community.  Now, through my platform of Leadership Among our Youth, I have the opportunity to teach the youth in our nation the different leadership styles that will allow them to take the necessary steps to success."

Furtado has been involved with the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards program, and her longer-term goals are to teach high school students what it means to be a good leader, and why it is important to take an active role in leadership in schools and communities. 

To view Furtado's video and cast your vote, visit the Miss America website or the Miss America Facebook page.

The Miss America pageant event will be broadcast live from Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on Saturday, January 14, 2012 on ABC. Check your local listings for time and channel.

About the University of New England

The University of New England is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of flexible, accredited online degrees. In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.