KEARNEY— After she won the Miss Nebraska and Miss America crowns, the past two years have been a whirlwind of touring and public appearances for Gering native Teresa Scanlan.
From July 20-21, Scanlan will take a brief pause from coast-to-coast touring to return to her home state to take part in the 25th-annual Cruise Nite car show. The Hub caught up with Scanlan while she was in North Platte for the Miss Nebraska contest and had the chance to ask her a few questions.
Q: It has been two years since you won the title of Miss Nebraska and more than a year since you were crowned Miss America. Has the excitement worn off yet?
A: Honestly, not really. I think it’s one of those things where it never does. I’m not sure if I’ll ever completely get used to it. It depends on the day and situation sometimes, but I don’t think I feel too much different than I did a year ago.
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Q: After touring the country, what is it like having a chance to make appearances in Nebraska?
A: It’s so, so nice. I’m always so excited when I get the opportunity to come back to Nebraska and do events here. It always feels great to be back and see so many familiar faces. I’m really looking forward to the event in Kearney. I think it will be a blast. They’ve been planning it for quite a while, and I’ve just been so thrilled they asked me to be a part of it, and I’ve been looking forward to all of it. I think it will be amazing.
Q: Did you go to any car shows while you were growing up?
A: There’s always been an annual car show in Gering. There’s the Sugar Valley Rally and various festivals like Oregon Trail Days, so I’ve always gone and seen those and been a part of them, so it’s always kind of been a summer staple.
Q: What are you looking forward to most as the honored guest at Cruise Nite?
A: To have something in Nebraska that is such a fun community event, it will truly be awesome to do so much with the people of Kearney. I am so glad that they’re making this happen, and I know we’re going to have a fun time. My family will be coming with me, so they get to experience it as well.
Q: You get to meet hundreds of people when you make appearances, so who would you get the most out of talking to at Cruise Nite?
A: Many times at car shows the owners are the most interesting people. I love meeting them because everybody who has a classic car has a really good story behind the car, so it’s fun being able to talk to those people and hear their stories and what they’re all about. I know that there are so many events to be at throughout the week that it will give me the opportunity to meet a lot of people in Kearney, so that will be really exciting. I love to hear from the people of Nebraska to get comments and feedback and get the chance to share experiences.
Q: I assume you spend a lot of time in limousines with pageant-related things. Would you prefer to arrive in a classic car for this event?
A: I, over the past year and a half, have really done only flying, so any opportunity to drive around cars is a really awesome time. One of the fun things about this, too, is being outside, being with cars and being able to drive in the parade. It’s been plane after plane, so honestly I’m happy to get in any kind of car.
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