Jennifer Berry
Encyclopedia
Jennifer Berry-Gooden was crowned Miss America
on January 21, 2006. A resident of Tulsa, Oklahoma
, she was the fifth Miss America from Oklahoma to hold the title.
She won the Miss Oklahoma
2005 title in a state pageant held Tulsa
on June 11, 2005. She competed as Miss Grand Lake, and was a double preliminary winner, winning awards for both talent and swimsuit. This was Berry's fifth attempt at the state title, as she placed third runner-up in 2004 and 2003, made the top 10 in 2002 and was unplaced in 2001.
Berry represented Oklahoma
in the Miss America 2006
pageant broadcast from the Theatre for the Performing Arts
on the Las Vegas Strip
on January 21, 2006, the first time the pageant was held outside Atlantic City, New Jersey
. During the preliminary competitions Berry won a preliminary talent award for her ballet en pointe performance. At the end of the final night, which involved interview, swimsuit, evening gown and talent competitions Berry won the Miss America title, the first titleholder crowned outside Atlantic City.
Her platform issue as Miss Oklahoma and Miss America was "Building Intolerance to Drunk Driving and Underage Drinking." She acted a national spokesperson for Mothers Against Drunk Driving
during her reign and also worked on behalf of numerous other charities. Berry also had the opportunity to host the second annual Miss America's Outstanding Teen
pageant held in Orlando, Florida
.
Berry graduated from Jenks High School
in 2001, and attended the University of Oklahoma
with a major in elementary education. She hopes to attain a Master's in education and become an elementary school
teacher
. She is a member of the Churches of Christ. She currently lives in North Carolina
.
On April 28, 2007 she married Nathan Gooden in her hometown of Tulsa.
Miss America
The Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
on January 21, 2006. A resident of Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
, she was the fifth Miss America from Oklahoma to hold the title.
She won the Miss Oklahoma
Miss Oklahoma
The Miss Oklahoma competition selects a winner to compete on behalf of Oklahoma in the Miss America pageant. Miss Oklahoma has won the crown on five occasions. Also, in the years when city representatives were common, Norma Smallwood won, competing as Miss Tulsa, giving the state of Oklahoma a...
2005 title in a state pageant held Tulsa
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
on June 11, 2005. She competed as Miss Grand Lake, and was a double preliminary winner, winning awards for both talent and swimsuit. This was Berry's fifth attempt at the state title, as she placed third runner-up in 2004 and 2003, made the top 10 in 2002 and was unplaced in 2001.
Berry represented Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
in the Miss America 2006
Miss America 2006
Miss America 2006, the 85th Miss America, pageant, was held on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada on January 21, 2006.The pageant was broadcast live on CMT from the Theatre for the Performing Arts at the Aladdin Resort and Casino, the first time that the pageant was held outside Atlantic City...
pageant broadcast from the Theatre for the Performing Arts
Theatre for the Performing Arts
The Theatre for the Performing Arts is a 7,000 seat theater located in the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip.- History :...
on the Las Vegas Strip
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
on January 21, 2006, the first time the pageant was held outside Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
. During the preliminary competitions Berry won a preliminary talent award for her ballet en pointe performance. At the end of the final night, which involved interview, swimsuit, evening gown and talent competitions Berry won the Miss America title, the first titleholder crowned outside Atlantic City.
Her platform issue as Miss Oklahoma and Miss America was "Building Intolerance to Drunk Driving and Underage Drinking." She acted a national spokesperson for Mothers Against Drunk Driving
Mothers Against Drunk Driving
Mothers Against Drunk Driving is a non-profit organization in the United States that seeks to stop drunk driving, support those affected by drunk driving, prevent underage drinking, and overall push for stricter alcohol policy...
during her reign and also worked on behalf of numerous other charities. Berry also had the opportunity to host the second annual Miss America's Outstanding Teen
Miss America's Outstanding Teen
Miss America's Outstanding Teen is an American scholarship pageant. It is a sister company to the Miss America Organization, and it aims to "promote scholastic achievement, creative accomplishment, healthy living and community involvement for America's teens." The first competition was held in...
pageant held in Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
.
Berry graduated from Jenks High School
Jenks public schools
Jenks Public Schools is a K-12 public school system located in Jenks, Oklahoma.Kirby Lehman is the superintendent of the district, which had 9,982 students in October 2008. Jenks and large parts of south and west Tulsa, Oklahoma are part of the Jenks school district, covering .The school district...
in 2001, and attended the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
with a major in elementary education. She hopes to attain a Master's in education and become an elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
. She is a member of the Churches of Christ. She currently lives in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
.
On April 28, 2007 she married Nathan Gooden in her hometown of Tulsa.