Jill Stevens

Last updated
Jill Stevens
SgtJill.jpg
Born (1983-02-28) February 28, 1983 (age 41)
AllegianceUnited States
Service / branch Army National Guard
Years of service2001–?
Rank Sergeant
Unit1st Battalion, 211th Aviation Regiment
Battles / wars Afghanistan War
Jill Stevens
Jill Stevens.jpg
Born (1983-02-28) February 28, 1983 (age 41)
Education Southern Utah University
SpouseKerry Shepherd (m. 2009)
Beauty pageant titleholder
Title
Hair colorBlonde
Eye colorBlue
Major
competition(s)
Miss America 2008 (Top 16)

Jill Stevens (born February 28, 1983) is a Miss Utah 2007. She was chosen as Miss Southern Utah University and Miss Davis County. She is a combat medic in the Utah Army National Guard and served as a medic during an 18-month tour in Afghanistan from 2004 to 2006 supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. [1]

Contents

Biography

A member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Stevens grew up in Utah's Davis County. Her mother is a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

Stevens joined the Army National Guard six months before 9/11. [2] In November 2003, she was deployed to Afghanistan, returning home in April 2005. She has earned five medals for her outstanding service S was the first female finisher of the inaugural Afghanistan Marathon, [3] making a total of 12 marathons she has completed together with earning the highest Fitness award during Army Basic Training. In representing the Army National Guard, Sergeant Stevens[ when? ] addressed generals from 40 different nations gathered at Hill Air Force Base.

Stevens graduated summa cum laude from the nursing program at Southern Utah University on a four-year leadership scholarship. She placed third in the Cinco De Mayo Sailboat Regatta in Mexico.[ citation needed ] She was chosen as one of four "Women of Strength" featured in Muscle & Fitness Hers magazine's September/October 2007 issue. Stevens has been a fitness instructor for Gold's Gym for several years, as well as a bread baker for Great Harvest.

Stevens was Miss Utah 2007, and competed in the Miss America Pageant in January 2008. On January 26, 2008, she was named the "America's Choice" semi-finalist in the Miss America 2008 pageant. This was the first time a 16th semi-finalist was named in the competition, and she was the only semi-finalist not to be selected by the judges. Stevens was eliminated after the swimsuit competition, along with five other semi-finalists. She was the only contestant to wear a one-piece swimsuit. [4] When her name was announced, she dropped to the stage and started doing push-ups.

Stevens is a member of the MormonTimes.com racing team. [5]

Stevens married Kerry Shepherd in January 2009. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beauty pageant</span> Competition mostly based on physical attributes

A beauty pageant is a competition in which the contestants are judged and ranked based on various physical and mental attributes. Per its name, beauty pageants traditionally focus on judging the contestants' physical attractiveness, sometimes solely so, but most modern beauty pageants have since expanded to also judge contestants based on "inner beauty"—their individual traits and characteristics, including personality, intelligence, aptitude, moral character, and charity. Though typically perceived as a female-oriented competition, male beauty pageants also exist, as do child beauty pageants for youth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miss Earth</span> Annual environmental awareness-themed international beauty competition

Miss Earth is an annual international major beauty pageant based in the Philippines that advocates for environmental awareness, conservation and social responsibility. Along with Miss World, Miss Universe, and Miss International, it is one of the Big Four beauty pageants.

A swimsuit competition, more commonly now called a bikini contest, is a beauty contest which is judged and ranked while contestants wear a swimsuit, typically a bikini. One of the judging criteria is the physical attractiveness of the contestants. The Big Four international beauty pageants have included examples of such a competition.

The Miss California competition selects the representative for the state of California in the Miss America competition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miss Oregon Teen USA</span> Beauty pageant competition

The Miss Oregon Teen USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Oregon in the Miss Teen USA pageant and the name of the title held by that winner. It is currently produced by Pageants NW Productions based in Puyallup, Washington and is previously produced by ABC Pageant Productions based in Bend, Oregon until 2015.

The Miss Washington competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Washington in the Miss America pageant.

The Miss Florida competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Florida in the Miss America pageant. Florida has twice won the Miss America crown.

The Miss Vermont competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Vermont in the Miss America pageant. While Vermont is the only state to have never had a contestant advance to the semi-finals of the Miss America pageant, their representatives have won numerous non-finalist awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miss Idaho</span> Beauty pageant competition

The Miss Idaho scholarship program is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Idaho in the Miss America pageant. The current titleholder receives a $4,000 cash scholarship to any accredited institution of her choice. She also represents the state of Idaho for the live ABC broadcast of the Miss America pageant.

The Miss Oregon competition is a regional scholarship competition that selects the representative for the US state of Oregon in the Miss America pageant. The annual event includes contestants from across the state and awards scholarships to the participants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miss Utah</span> Beauty pageant competition

The Miss Utah competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Utah in the Miss America competition. Two Miss Utah titleholders have won the Miss America pageant.

The Miss Pennsylvania's Teen competition selects the representative for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the Miss America's Teen Competition. The Miss Pennsylvania's Teen Competition is held each June at the Appell Center for Performing Arts in York, Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miss Universe 1957</span> 6th Miss Universe pageant

Miss Universe 1957 was the 6th Miss Universe pageant, held at the Long Beach Municipal Auditorium in Long Beach, California, United States on 19 July 1957.

Julia Marie Bachison is an American beauty queen who won the 2008 Miss Utah USA pageant. Bachison also won the Miss Utah pageant in 2005, becoming the first woman in Utah to hold both pageant titles.

Nicole Schmitz is a Filipino model and beauty titleholder who represented the Philippines in the Miss International 2012 pageant in Okinawa, Japan on 21 October 2012, where she placed in the Top 15. She is also the third representative of the Philippines to the Miss International pageant of German descent after Miss International 2010 - Top 15 Semi-Finalist, Krista Kleiner and the late Melody Gershbach, Miss International 2009 Top 15 Semi-Finalist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miss Earth Belgium</span>

Miss Earth Belgium is a title given to a woman who is selected to represent Belgium at Miss Earth, an annual international beauty pageant promoting environmental awareness. The national pageant of Miss Earth for Belgium is conducted by Miss Exclusive to which Carousel Productions, the owner of Miss Earth, awarded the franchise in 2014. The winner of Miss Exclusive gets the title of Miss Earth Belgium.

The Miss Missouri's Teen competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the U.S. state of Missouri in the Miss America's Teen pageant. Miss Missouri's Teen pageant is often held the second weekend of June.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CC Barber</span> American beauty pageant titleholder

CC Barber is an American beauty pageant titleholder from Scappoose, Oregon, who was crowned Miss Oregon 2009. She competed for the Miss America 2010 title in January 2010 and placed in the Top 15 semi-finalists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miss America 2019</span> 92nd edition of the Miss America competition

Miss America 2019, the 92nd Miss America pageant, though the Miss America Organization celebrated its 98th anniversary in 2018. This discrepancy is due to national pageants not being held from 1928 to 1932 or in 1934 because of financial problems associated with the Great Depression. The 2019 competition was held in Atlantic City, New Jersey. On May 23, 2018, it was announced that the pageant would air live on ABC on Sunday, September 9, 2018. This was the last Miss America to be aired on ABC before it was moved to NBC beginning from the 2020 pageant.

The Miss Utah's Outstanding Teen competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the U.S. state of Utah in the Miss America's Outstanding Teen pageant.

References

  1. "Miss Utah 07".
  2. "US NAVY JEEP: SGT. Jill Stevens, Utah National Guard's 1st Battalion, 211th Aviation Regiment served her country in Afghanistan". 8 January 2011.
  3. Warren, Chelsea (3 July 2009), "'Faith in the Service' through Mormon eyes", MormonTimes , archived from the original on 14 July 2011, retrieved 2009-08-30
  4. Farmer, Molly (9 August 2009), "Jill Stevens Shepherd encourages YSAs to be proud of who they are", MormonTimes, retrieved 2009-08-30
  5. Marshall, Andrew (4 July 2008), "MormonTimes.com racers finish first", MormonTimes, retrieved 2009-08-30[ permanent dead link ]
  6. Wilson, Chanae (8 March 2009), "Brides save money by renting gowns", MormonTimes, archived from the original on 2009-03-13, retrieved 2009-08-30

Sources