Alexis Wineman
EducationHuntingdon College
Known forFirst known autistic contestant to compete in the Miss America pageant.
TitleMiss Cut Bank 2012
Miss Montana 2012
AwardsMiss America 2013 "America's Choice" award
Websitewww.alexiswineman.com

Alexis Wineman is an autism advocate[1] who was named Miss Montana 2012.[1] She won the "America's Choice" award at the Miss America 2013 pageant [1] and is the first known autistic contestant to compete in the Miss America pageant.[2][3]

Background

Wineman is from Cut Bank, Montana, and states that as a child, she always felt different[4] and was bullied.[5][6] She said that she began to understand why after she was diagnosed with "PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder- Not Otherwise Specified), an autism spectrum disorder" at the age of 11.[7] She attended Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama,[8] and graduated in 2017 with a degree in art. She currently lives in Montgomery, Alabama and works at a daycare out of a church. Alexis still offers speaking events, but hasn't been getting many since graduating college.

Wineman did not grow up with an interest in beauty pageants, stating that she was instead the "girl with the hoodies on. I never wore makeup all that much. I wasn't much into beauty at all – to be honest, I'm still not all that much."[6] Her platform as Miss Montana was "Normal is just a dryer setting – Living with autism"[8] and, at the age of 18, she was the youngest contestant in the Miss America 2013 pageant.[2]

Her older sister, Danielle Wineman, was named Miss Montana in June 2015.[9]

Wineman at a Malmstrom AFB appearance

Publications

  • Wineman, Alexis. (January 17, 2013). "Miss Montana: Autism doesn't define me". CNN.

Video clips and interviews

References

  1. 1 2 3 Bruch, Linda (February 19, 2014). "She may not be Miss Montana anymore, but she's in demand". Cut Bank Pioneer Press.
  2. 1 2 Golodryga, Bianna (January 11, 2013). "Alexis Wineman, Miss Montana, First Miss America Contestant Diagnosed With Autism". Good Morning America. ABC News. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
  3. ↑ Sun, FeiFei (January 11, 2013). "5 Questions with Alexis Wineman: Miss America's First Autistic Contestant". Time.
  4. ↑ Mithers, Carol (March 2013). "Meet the Most Popular Girl in America (PS: She Has Autism)". Glamour.
  5. ↑ Grey, Mark (Jan 12, 2013). "Miss America Contestant Alexis Wineman Talks About Growing Up with Autism". People Magazine.
  6. 1 2 Lewin, Adrienne (Jan 10, 2013). "Miss Montana is first autistic contestant for Miss America". Today.
  7. ↑ "Alexis Wineman: My Story". alexiswineman.com. Archived from the original on 2016-07-08. Retrieved 2014-06-03.
  8. 1 2 "Miss Montana 2012 Keynote at 2014 Annual Banquet". Mental Health America of Great Falls. 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-06-07.
  9. ↑ "Danielle Wineman of Cut Bank crowned Miss Montana 2015". Great Falls, MT: KRTV. June 14, 2015. Archived from the original on July 18, 2015. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
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