Local grad strives for Miss Ohio

FINDLAY — Hannah Hassan, 22, didn't make it to the Top 16 during last year's Miss Ohio USA pageant, but this year is different. "You go through something one time and it helps with the nerves," Hassan said. The 2020 Cory-Rawson graduate is once again representing Northwest Ohio in the pageant. She said last year, she didn't quite know what to expect. But this time, she was more understanding of how the pageant works. "I'm definitely more confident. Last year, I didn't really know what to expect," she said. Hassan grew up in the spotlight. She shows horses at the Hancock County Fair, participated in pageants when she was younger, was published in magazines, practiced ballet and played trumpet. She's also dedicated herself to being a role model for others. "There was a point in my life that I lost the confident person I was because of the words and actions of someone else," she said. "I want to be the role model that women and girls need to hear from." Her strive towards Miss Ohio is backed by a moment she recalls as her proudest, a moment when she was able to take back her life from a destructive relationship and focus on herself. "For me, Miss Ohio is being the person you can look up to. You can go through something really terrible in your life but be able to come out and do good things," she said. Eventually, she wants to win Miss Ohio to use the platform and spread awareness on domestic violence. She said she's already done so much as Hannah and as Miss Northwestern, her local title in the state pageant, such as volunteering for Night to Shine, working at a domestic violence shelter and working as an assistant victims' advocate at the prosecutor's office. "I think the platform will not only help me spread awareness about domestic violence, but also help me grow as a person," Hassan said. Hassan is one of 25 girls either from Ohio or studying at a university in Ohio competing for the state title, on May 24 and 25 in Portsmouth. Contestants compete in a two-minute interview as well as in talent, evening gown and a swimsuit competition. The top six women will go on to a final round which features an open-ended question that they will answer on stage. Hassan has a chance to go straight to the final round if she receives enough votes in the weeks leading up to the pageant. If she wins the title, she goes on to represent Ohio in the Miss USA pageant in California this summer. People at home can vote for their favorite girls at missohiousa.com/vote. The woman with the most votes is guaranteed a spot in the final round and the woman with the second most votes is guaranteed a spot in the semifinals, with a chance to move on to the finals.