A former Florida news anchor was awarded a new title this weekend in Orlando: Ms. Woman United States.
Sierra Scott, 53, said she will use her accomplishment to inspire other women in their 50s.
News4Jax reporter Erik Avanier used to work with Scott in Florida. Scott now resides primarily in Kansas, but Avanier was able to catch up with the new Ms. Woman United States via FaceTime on Monday while she was still at the home she keeps in Tampa.
Scott said being crowned Ms. Woman United States still hasn’t set in yet. Though she is accustomed to being in front of an audience, the former Tampa Bay news anchor now has an even bigger audience.
She told Avanier that she thought Ms. Nevada was going to win. So guess what happened when Ms. Nevada was called for first runner-up?
“I hug her and say, 'Congratulations. I’m so happy for you.' I’m congratulating her as though she won. She looks at me and says, 'You’re the one who won.' And I said, 'No,'" Scott said. "And there’s a picture of me going 'No.' I thought that was the most uncool crowning that has ever happened in the history of pageants.”
Wearing the crown means she’ll be performing community service across the country.
“We’re going to travel across the United States and we’re going to work on Habitat for Humanity houses in New Orleans. We’re going to visit children’s hospitals in Houston," she said.
Scott, who currently owns a video production company, said she wants to inspire other women in her age group.
“A lot of women, especially in broadcasting careers where looks play a role, think that once they reach 50, its over. It’s done. They're put out to pasture. What I want to do is encourage women. If you got a dream to be in a pageant at 53, be in a pageant at 53. If you got a dream to own a company at 53, own a company at 53. It’s not time to quit. It’s time to get started," Scott said.
Although Scott now resides in Kansas, she still calls Florida home.
“I had a little tiny house when we worked together at Bay News 9 in Tampa and I kept it. I go back and forth every once in a while just to keep that Florida tie," she said. "I love Florida and I think it’s an amazing state, so it was really fun to actually win the national title in Florida.”
Scott was a television news anchor for more than 30 years. Now, she hosts her own television show called "Positively Kansas."