Bay Area native to hand off Miss America crown in 2016 pagaent

Bay Area native and reigning Miss America Kira Kazantsev will be passing on the crown Sunday night during the 2016 Miss America Pageant.

ABC7 News reporter Leyla Gulen spoke with Kazantsev about how the beauty competition has evolved from beauty to brains.

Gulen: The Miss America pageant, it's gone through many changes over the years, how has it stayed relevant?

Kazantsev: It's changed and evolved, just as Miss America herself has. The brand is the girl next door. She's the girl you want to be best friends with, the girl you can relate to. She's involved in her community.

Kazantsev will be joining a long list of Forever Miss Americas in its 95th year. Margaret Gorman was crowned as the first in 1921 as the most beautiful bathing girl in America.

Some contestants have left the throne amidst controversy, like Vanessa Williams. She was stripped of her crown in 1984 after naked photos of her surfaced. She will be returning to the pageant for the first time in 31 years.

She's not the only one to come under fire. Kazantsev also found herself under the microscope after being crowned. She was kicked out of her Alpha Phi Sorority at Hofstra University for hazing.

Keeping her title, Kazantsev went on with her duties as America's royalty, working with various organizations like the United States Military overseas and the Children's Miracle Network Hospital.

Gulen: As they say, heavy is the head that wears the crown, so it soujds does sound like you have quite a few responsibilities. What responsibilities are you going to take with you once you pass that crown on to the next Miss America?

Kazantsev: Once you're Miss America, you're forever Miss America, so I will always uphold the values that come with being a Miss America title holder.

Kira graduated from Las Lomas High School in Walnut Creek. Gulen asked her if she'll be back around the Bay Area soon.

Kazantsev: I had a wonderful upbringing there. It's beautiful open space. It's kind people. It's sunshine and the best climate in the world. So, I love Northern California and the Bay Area in particular.

Kira plans on settling in Los Angeles and hopes to use her $50,000 in scholarship money toward a business degree.

Watch the Miss America pageant Sunday, Sept. 13, 2015 at 9 p.m. on ABC7.