Parent Teacher Magazine Union County Public School Jan/Feb 2016 | Page 7

Former PRHS graduate crowned Miss North Carolina--USA

Many little girls dream about wearing a
crown and being chosen as the fairest in the
land. That fantasy became a reality for one
Porter Ridge High School graduate when she
was named Miss North Carolina-USA.
“I was in a total state of shock,” said
Allie Dunn, a 2013 PRHS graduate. “It was
something I had been visualizing for so
long and I couldn’t believe it was actually
happening in real life. I’m still shocked.”
Getting there wasn’t easy, but with
dedication and determination, Allie made her
dream come true.
“It’s a lot more work than people realize,”
Allie said. “The weekend I won, I had been
working for that title every day for more
than a year, whether it was lifestyle, current
events, working with someone on my walk,
working out, getting wardrobe together. It
takes a lot of discipline. It’s something I’ve
learned through this process.”
She now goes on to compete in the
Miss USA competition next summer. “I’m
really excited. I’ll be there two weeks. I’ll be
competing with 51 other contestants.”
Allie has come a long way since walking
across the stage, diploma in hand. When
thinking back on her high school experience,
she said her memories are all good ones.
“I have no bad memories of Porter
Ridge,” she said. “The teachers were very
supportive.”
A few teachers really stood out as
exceptional. Allie remembers Pat Thompkins’
lessons on the Holocaust; Dan Korn’s
interesting lessons on the Civil War; and then
there were the support from teachers like
Jennie Yearick, her math teacher, who has
reached out to her since winning her title,
and last but not least, Amy Cloer, her English
teacher.
“Ms. Cloer was really funny and
encouraging,” Allie said. “She would tell me,
‘I think you’re going to do really great things.’
Stuff like that really sticks with you. Before
you believe in yourself, these adults see
something in you.”
Allie was very active at PRHS. She served
on student council, and was captain on the
school swim team her junior and senior year.
“I was a competitive swimmer for 10 years.”
Her senior year, Allie was also chosen as
homecoming queen, which she says was a
huge surprise. Her first pageant was Miss
North Carolina Teen USA, also during her
senior year at PRHS. She was chosen firstrunner up.
Competing for pageant titles requires
being physically fit. Keeping in shape
continues to be paramount. Her favorite form

Competing in
the Miss NC
competition
Allie Dunn,
a 2013
Porter Ridge
High School
graduate, is
named Miss
North CarolinaUSA.

of exercise is Barre classes, a blend of Pilates
and ballet. “It can make a grown man cry it’s
so difficult,” she said. “It’s amazing. I would
recommend it to anyone.”
You’ll never catch Allie dieting, however,
something she is adamant about. “I will
never go on a diet! I’ve always been a good
eater. It’s my fuel. I need certain things to
operate at maximum capacity. I consider it
a lifestyle. I eat really healthy food. I don’t
eat process food. Everything is homemade
or made from scratch. That takes a lot of
discipline. It’s all about balance.”
Balance comes in, she said, by living
by the 90/10 rule. “You eat really well 90

percent of the time, but then one meal, you
splurge and go crazy. Then you go back. I
cheat every once in a while.”
Community service is also a big part of
Allie’s life. As Miss North Carolina-USA, she
looks forward to continuing her work with
the United Service Organizations (USO). As
the sister of a Navy pilot, she said she feels a
personal connection to the work that the USO
does on behalf of military personnel. She
and her mom, Terri Dunn, a former XX