Joanna Guy Biography

Joanna Guy (born August 4, 1991) is a former Miss Maryland titleholder and Cornell University graduate from Swanton, Maryland. She is currently employed as a Fellow at the U.S. Public Interest Research Group.

Biography

Guy received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Cornell in May 2013 with a double major in government and American studies and a minor in music. She was on the Dean's List each year at Cornell, and was active in the Alpha Phi sorority, serving as an officer for the Delta chapter, earning an Alpha Phi Foundation scholarship, and winning the Alpha Phi's Got Talent competition held at the national convention in 2012. Guy was also a member of the Cornell University Chorus and a soloist with the female a cappella group After Eight. She studied public policy at the Cornell Center in Washington, DC and held an internship in the office of U.S. Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland.

Guy was crowned Miss Maryland on June 23, 2012, after winning talent and swimsuit awards in preliminary competition and the overall interview award. She went on to represent Maryland at the Miss America 2013 competition held January 16-18, 2013 in Las Vegas. There she placed as a Top 10 Finalist and won a Preliminary Talent Award for her vocal performance of I Dreamed a Dream. She was awarded a Charles and Theresa Brown scholarship and received one of three Quality of Life Awards for her community service project Bounce Back, which raised money for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and other charities. During her year as Miss Maryland she traveled throughout the state speaking to school and civic groups, performing at public functions, and advocating for cardiac health and funding for the humanities.

Guy had previously served as Miss Maryland's Outstanding Teen and represented Maryland at the Miss America's Outstanding Teen pageant in Orlando, Florida in August 2008. At the national competition she placed third runner up and won the Outstanding Achievement in Academic Life Award and a Preliminary Fitness Award.

Guy attended Southern Garrett High School in Oakland, Maryland, where she served as the student member of the Garrett County school board and participated in school and community theatre and All State Chorus. She competed in regional and national science competitions, qualifying as a finalist in the Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge (DCYSC), winning a Category Award at the 2006 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair(ISEF), and receiving the 2009 senior student Carnegie Science Award. In 2008 Guy was named the Grand Torchbearer at the National Youth Storytelling Showcase (NYSS). She also won scholarships in Academic Achievement and Talent in the Arts as a Maryland Distinguished Scholar. Guy earned the Congressional Award for Youth Gold Medal, and was selected as a speaker at the national award ceremony in 2009. In April 2009 she won first place at Maryland History Day for her portrayal of American suffragist Alice Paul, which she performed at the National History Day competition and at the Maryland Chautauqua Festival.