Miss USA recalls memories of Catholic private school near St. Louis

Published: 2004-05-19

ST. LOUIS (CNS) -- From a food fight in the lunchroom to religion classes and service opportunities, Miss USA 2004, Shandi Finnessey, said she has nothing but fond memories of her time as a student at Incarnate Word Academy. A Florissant native and 1996 graduate of the all-girls private Catholic school in Bel-Nor, 25-year-old Finnessey spoke with the St. Louis Review, archdiocesan newspaper, by telephone recently from her new home in New York. She was crowned Miss USA at the 53rd annual pageant April 12 at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles. The first representative of Missouri to win the title of Miss USA, she also competed in the Miss America competition; she was named Miss Missouri America in 2002. "It was such an awesome feeling," she said about being crowned Miss USA. "It was a feeling of when you prepare so hard for something and then everything is culminated and your goal is achieved."

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