KU junior twirls her way to Atlantic City

Angelea Busby, Photo courtesy Stan Reimer Photography

Perhaps you have already seen her face on the big screen at the stadium. There she was, out in front of the KU marching band, twirling her baton high into the air during the home football games.

Now, you will get to see much more of the Marching Jayhawks' featured twirler, Angelea Busby, a KU junior from Lenexa. Last month, Busby was crowned Miss Kansas and will represent the state—and her beloved Jayhawks—-in the Miss America competition Sept. 20 in Atlantic City.

It is a dream come true for Busby, 21. However, her victory means she will have to leave her studies at KU for a year to serve as Miss Kansas—-and, with luck, Miss America. That also means stepping down as recruitment chair for her sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta, and as a director of Rock Chalk Revue, the annual spring musical production and fund-raising event at KU. More important, it also means missing being at school with her brother, incoming freshman Nick Busby.

"We were so excited to go to school together but now we can't," Angelea said. "But he's happy for me."

When she does return to KU, she will finish her degree in journalism and hopes to enter the KU School of Law, which her Miss Kansas scholarship winnings will pay for completely. She plans to study mental health public policy. Her platform issue as Miss Kansas is depression awareness in addition to substance and alcohol abuse.

She also hopes her new title will open doors for her. Although she has performed at football games, she never has had the chance to perform inside Allen Fieldhouse for the basketball crowd.

"Maybe now they will let me do one game, or even just Late Night," she said.