BIOGRAPHY OF KATIE

Katie Blair was born on December 29, 1987, in Billings, Montana, and grew up in Billings, Montana, and Sugar Land, Texas. She returned to Billings when she was seventeen. Katie had planned on attending the University of Louisiana, but postponed these ambitious plans when she won Miss Montana Teen USA in 2006, and subsequently won Miss Teen USA 2006.

She holds the distinction of being the first Montanan to win a national pageant. Katie earned further distinction as the first Miss Universe Organization pageant winner to endorse YMI Jeanswear. Among other things, Katie was interviewed by Patty Lopez and Rick Dees, and participated in a billboard advertising campaign in Los Angeles, California, and New York, New York. Katie's otherwise successful reign was marred by scandal, when Katie courageously admitted that she had been drinking alchohol -even though she was not yet 21. Even though Katie was just eighteen, and had made a mistake, she bravely revealed these activities, as Katie is very honest and did not lie, despite the knowledge that revealing the truth would lead to heavy scruity against the eighteen-year-old, and might even lead to her being dethroned. Upon her admission, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) spokesperson Heidi Castle said: "MADD was disappointed to hear news reports of Miss Teen USA Katie Blair illegally drinking underage. In the past, MADD has teamed with Miss Teen USA to raise awareness about the serious and often deadly consequences of underage drinking. However, we do not feel, at this time, that Ms. Blair can be an effective spokesperson on underage drinking and will not ask her to represent MADD in future initiatives." (See subsection 'Underage Drinking Controversy'.) Katie was also involved in a scandal when she kissed Miss USA Tara Conner at a New York nightclub, which raised questions on the relationship of the two (see subsection 'Katie's Relationship with Tara Conner'). However, others felt the widespread criticism and scrutiny Katie faced was unfair. The president of the Miss Universe pageant, Paula Shugart, said: "I'm sorry that Katie got dragged into this...People just wanted to tell a story, and a lot of it is just to see the name of a particular club in the New York papers, whether it's true or not."

In 2011, Katie participated in the Miss California USA 2011 pageant, where she finished second. When Miss California USA Alyssa Campanella won Miss USA, Katie was crowned as the de facto Miss California USA 2011. Katie was hesitant at first about entering in another pageant, because of the scandal during her time as Miss Teen USA. As she explained during a phone interview, "I swore up and down I wasn't going to do a pageant again. But I wanted the opportunity to recover from my term as Miss Teen USA." In a seperate interview, with Exotic Adventure and Travel magazine, Katie elaborated further. "I had just a very unique experience as Miss Teen USA, and leaving the title, I felt as though I hadn't really given it my best effort, and after finishing college and getting into the big girl world, I needed that fulfillment of feeling like I had really finished that chapter of my life." As she explained, "I went back in, full force, and worked my butt off, raised my own money, worked out like mad, and I just had an amazing time."

During her tenure as Miss California USA and Miss Teen USA, Katie was selflessly involved in philanthrophy and has worked with Make-A-Wish Foundation, as well as the organizations Love is Lounder and No H8, the latter of which was a silent protest in support of same-sex marriage.

Katie defended Donald Trump in the wake of the Access Hollywood tape, stating, "I have great respect for him, as a boss, as a businessman. As far as the rumors, kind of, surrounding him coming into the backstage, and things like that, dressing rooms, absolutely not. I never experienced that." (See subsection 'Katie's Interview on Donald Trump'.)

An actress, Katie performed in TV shows, including Pageant Place, which she explained which, although billed as a reality show, scripted portions of the dialogue. As she explained, "It put me in quite an unpleasant light". She added, "I came off as immature, disrespectful, naive, young and ignorant."

Katie is a compassionate, considerate, kind, honest, funny, beautiful, intelligent and witty person.