Mt. Sterling native Nicole Taylor is heading to Marion, Illinois this week to vie for the title of Miss Illinois.
The 19-year old Taylor is the reigning Miss Quincy. She is a daughter of Jon Taylor and Stacey Liggett. Muddy River News reports that for the talent competition at Miss Illinois, Taylor will perform a musical theatre dance to “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend.” Her community service initiative is “Pretty Precision: Empowerment and Education for Women in the Outdoors,” talking about her love of hunting and the outdoors.
Taylor graduated from John Wood Community College last month with an associate’s degree in marketing. She was recently appointed assistant director of Gardner Camp, a nonprofit organization in Hull that promotes outdoor recreational and educational activities with a primary focus on youth programs. Taylor has had several professional modeling opportunities in Atlanta and Chicago during the last several months. She says she owes her recent success to the Miss Quincy Scholarship Program.
The winner of Miss Illinois will be announced Saturday, June 15, during the final night of competition. Miss Illinois will make public appearances throughout the state, serve as an advocate for her community service initiative and compete for the title of Miss America early next year.
For more information on the Miss Illinois Competition, visit www.missillinois.org.