Miss (University of) Maryland

There are a plethora of ways students seek to conquer ever-increasing tuition costs: Many apply for federal financial aid, student loans or scholarships, while others slave double-shifts to stretch summer paychecks.

Senior communication major Lindsay Staniszewski’s approach involved dresses and diamonds, pictures and practices, community service and competition.

After competing unsuccessfully in the Miss Maryland pageant for the past three years, Staniszewski prevailed in all categories of the long-awaited June 27 pageant to take home the coveted title and a sizeable scholarship.

“When Susan Powell, Miss America 1981, called my name … my head fell to my knees and the tears of joy and astonishment flooded from my eyes,” Staniszewski wrote on online blog Beauty Beyond in a post entitled, “A Dream Realized.”

Staniszewski, who could not be reached for comment, earned not only a sparkling crown, silk sash and an oversized bouquet of long-stem roses, but also a hard-earned $10,000 scholarship check.

“I got involved with pageants because of the scholarship money,” she told the Maryland Independent. “The Miss America program is a nonprofit, scholarship-based program. It’s the largest provider of scholarships in the country.”

Staniszewski will add her latest winnings to a collection of prizes and sashes from previous victories as Miss Montgomery County, Miss Greater Baltimore, Miss Southern Maryland and Miss Caroline Summerfest. This year’s win secures her a Las Vegas-bound plane ticket and a spot in the Miss America 2011 pageant, scheduled for January.

Sophomore Arabic studies major Lisa Sullivan said Staniszewski’s crowning makes her proud to be a fellow student.

“She should make sure to recognize Maryland as being a great educational institution,” Sullivan said.

Perhaps the most prevailing quality that contributed to Staniszewski’s win is her philanthropic platform entitled “Beyond beauty: Building Self-Esteem and Positive Body Image in Girls.” The effort has flourished thanks to a website run by Staniszewski herself and countless speeches to young girls in schools and girl scout troops to amplify her message.

“I want to tell girls to stay true to who they are. They have to make positive choices, have positive body images and develop healthy lifestyles. That’s near and dear to my heart,” she said.

Junior computer science major Shiran Beroukhim said Staniszewski’s self-esteem initiatives are important not only to the girls with whom the beauty queen has worked, but also to students at the university.

“Once you get to college, appearance is a big deal,” Beroukhim said. “The experimental level is higher, and girls are getting involved in things they shouldn’t to get to that weight level. [Staniszewski] should keep doing what she’s doing.”

Staniszewski is not the only one wearing jewels, as she created a program called “Queen for a Day” at the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington. The program allows terminally sick patients — nicknamed “Champions of Illness” — to wear a crown and sash for a day in hopes of lifting their spirits.

As a student, Staniszewski is described by professors as having “diligence” and a “high energy level.” Susan Whyte Simon, a lecturer in the college of arts and humanities college who has taught Staniszewski in two different courses, said she was “amazed where she pulled out strong finishes” while balancing her pageant duties with a full-schedule semester.

But Staniszewski found ways to intertwine her responsibilities and often used her pageant platform as a basis for class writings, according to Lucinda Austin, a communication graduate assistant who has also instructed Miss Maryland.

“Most of the time that I had Lindsay as a student, I didn’t even know about her double life,” Austin added.

On her blog, Staniszewski wrote about her anticipation for the upcoming Miss America pageant, thanking sponsors and loved ones for supporting her journey.

“I can only look forward with great excitement for the opportunities that await,” she wrote.

elbasha at umdbk dot com