BEAUTIFUL ARIEL SIMMONS SEEKING TO BECOME MISS ILLINOIS & MISS AMERICA

Chicago’s West Side has a beautiful, smart, and charismatic young woman representing us in the December pageant that selects the 2013 Miss Illinois, who then competes in next year’s Miss America pageant. ARIEL SIMMONS is bright and magnetic. She grew up in Austin, raised by her grandmother, Katie Smith, in her home on Mayfield Avenue near West End. Ariel graduated from St. Paul Lutheran School, where she says she received her grounding and discipline. From there, she attended Walther Lutheran High School, Proviso West, and graduated from Wabaunsee Valley. Ariel went on to attend the College of DuPage, where she earned certification in phlebotomy, EKG, Medical Assistant, and Certified Nursing Assistant. She worked for two years at Elmhurst Hospital and currently works at a cardiac & vascular specialty clinic. But, she says her real passion is the fashion industry, stemming from her childhood, reading VOGUE and Italian VOGUE...dreaming of seeing herself in those pages. Ariel says she was always into makeup. Through her trademark hard work, dedication, and drive, this dream has been realized. She has been a successful boutique model for the past four years and has seen herself pictured modeling elegant clothing in the fashion magazines she dreamt of being in. The 22-year-old Ariel says she is too small at 5’4” to make it big at runway modeling. She is quite content to build her success on magazine and catalog modeling. She works free-lance, rather than being represented by an agency. Ariel says she maintains a very busy modeling schedule, with three or four fashion shoots a month. She is seen in VIBRANT magazine and has appeared in CHICAGOLICIOUS! Ariel says she works out regularly, but will make everyone jealous when she adds, “I eat whatever I want and I don’t skimp. I was raised in a family that enjoys soul food, so I love to eat!” And, she says she wakes up every morning saying, “I AM MISS ILLINOIS!” We believe that with that kind of confidence, Ariel Simmons will wake up December 3 as our new Miss Illinois!