ABOUT ASHLEY

Ashley Hooks was crowned Miss Illinois USA 2012 on November 20, 2011. A native of the Chicago south suburbs, Ashley has a demonstrated passion for public service and intends to use her reign to help increase attention to youth education, social justice and other important issues.

The new Miss Illinois USA currently works full-time as a Special Legal Projects Manager for the State of Illinois’ Department of Central Management Services (CMS). A 2008 graduate of the University of Illinois (Champaign-Urbana), she recently completed her graduate school entrance exams and plans to attend graduate school for public policy and business administration and eventually pursue a career in public service. Ashley also looks forward to expanding her modeling career, something she has been looking forward to pursuing for some time.

The seeds for Ashley's interest in education and social justice were planted early by her parents, Debra and William Hooks. Her mother, an educational administrator, and father, a Cook County Circuit Court judge and retired Marine lieutenant colonel, set a high bar for Ashley and her sister, Mariah. Along with her parents’ involvement in social causes, Ashley was also influenced by her cousin, the late Honorable Benjamin Hooks, 2007 Presidential Medal of Freedom award winner. Dr. Hooks was the second longest-tenured Executive Director of the NAACP and strategized with Thurgood Marshall in Brown v. Board, the case that paved the way for equality in education. 

Ashley attended Longwood Elementary School in Glenwood, Infant Jesus of Prague for junior high in Flossmoor, and Homewood-Flossmoor High School.  She participated in many extracurricular activities, including writing contests, playing multiple instruments and sports, and broadcasting the news on the radio (WHFH).   

As a student at the University of Illinois, Ashley was a presidential scholar and was involved in various community and social action activities, such as the East St. Louis Action Research Project, which focused on the redevelopment of historic parks in East St. Louis.  She also was involved in fundraising activities for social causes in Champaign, including serving as event and sponsorship coordinator for an annual charity fashion show whose proceeds were donated to the Julianna Timm Children’s Fund and a women and children’s shelter for victims of domestic violence.

During the summer of 2007, Ashley attended Midwest Academy’s community organizing summer internship training program in Chicago, where she organized for Metro Seniors in Action — advocating for issues such as pedestrian safety and universal school breakfast for all Chicago Public School students. 

After receiving her Bachelor of Arts in Urban Planning, Ashley moved to Albany, N.Y., to work as a community organizer with Citizen Action of New York (CANY).  In this role, she was involved in many issue-oriented and political campaigns, but was most passionately devoted to causes supporting quality education for all children.  In her free time, Ashley volunteered with Equinox, an after-school program geared to inner-city youth in Albany. 

In September 2009, Ashley returned home to the Chicago area to run her father’s election campaign for Cook County Circuit Court Judge, a position to which he had been appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court in August 2008 to fill a judicial vacancy. As Campaign Manager for the Committee-to-Elect, she was the ultimate voice on all campaign field operations.  It will always be a source of pride that she helped her father win his election! 

When Ashley is not busy with family, work, pageant preparation and friends, she takes time to reach others through volunteer work.  She has volunteered at Goodcity Chicago, whose mission is to identify and then support high-potential, community-based entrepreneurs seeking to create or enhance neighborhood and faith-based programs, and with Chicago Cares’ large community service events. She also assists Hales Franciscan High School, on the south side of Chicago, in its strategic planning initiatives and runs 5Ks in support of various causes.

Ashley’s interest turned to representing her state as Miss Illinois USA while watching the Miss USA 2010 pageant on television. She saw the pageant as an opportunity to reach other young women with positive messages about public service and achieving life goals. She applied for Miss Illinois USA 2011 and finished 2nd runner-up.  Believing she could do better, she came back to compete for the Miss Illinois USA 2012 title and won the crown.

She is thrilled to represent Illinois in the Miss USA 2012 pageant and to support the priority causes with which the Miss Universe Organization is associated, especially breast and ovarian cancer research.  Ashley’s mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in October 2011, just a month before the 2012 Miss Illinois USA pageant, and is currently fighting the disease.  Ashley is confident her mother will prevail!  She is excited to be an advocate for her mother and the millions of other women who are similarly affected. 

Over the next year, Ashley intends to get involved with other social causes throughout Illinois and hopes to inspire others, particularly young people, to do the same.  She also plans to use public appearances to raise awareness of issues she sees as vital to the future of young women in Illinois. Through her experience with public service and social causes, Ashley has developed a vision for highlighting these issues, which she plans to announce in February.

Ashley will make Illinois proud as she competes for the title of Miss USA 2012!