Erika Harold

Erika Harold was Miss America 2003, having practiced for the pageant by being selected Miss Illinois 2002. Her official platform was "Preventing Youth Violence and Bullying: Protect Yourself, deference Yourself." This platform choice was said to have grown out of personal knowledge; she recounts having been the subject of cultural and sexual harassment while growing up. However, in the first week of her reign, she also accepts a dual platform for Sexual Abstinence, causing some pageant observers to accuse her of harboring a hidden agenda. She held a press meeting at the National Press Club in Washington during which she claimed the Miss America organization was bullying her. Harold's ethnic background is really varied. On his father's side, she has Greek, German and Welsh ancestry, and on her mother's side, Native-American, African-American and Russian descent.

born	1980
Birthplace	Champaign, Illinois
Alma mater	University of Illinois, Harvard University
Title(s)	Miss America 2003
Major competition(s)	Miss America 2003

Katherine Shindle

Kate Shindle is the American actress, singer, dancer, and AIDS activist. She came to fame as Miss America 1998, where she represents the state of Illinois as Miss Illinois 1997. Like previous Miss America Leanza Cornett, Shindle alert on official lecture appearances for HIV/AIDS awareness and education and has raised tens of millions of dollars for others. Shindle participated in and chair a session at a conference at the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland. In 1999, Shindle's first CD, Christmases to Come was free on SSP Records. The CD featured the Chicago jazz ensemble Skip Sams' Society Sound, and was used to encourage AIDS awareness and raised money for the National AIDS Fund. In 2003, she followed up with her first correct solo CD, Till Today, which was produced by Skip Sams and released on Sams' own label. In 2007, she was cast in the Broadway musical, lawfully Blonde, based on the 2001 Reese Witherspoon film, playing the role of Vivienne through the musical's entire Broadway run.

Birth Date	January 31, 1977
Birth Place	Toledo, Ohio
Birth Name	Katherine Renee Shindle
Title(s)	Miss Illinois 1997
Major competition(s)	Miss America 1998