Cierra Kaler-Jones, a senior at the School of Arts and Sciences. In June, she was named Miss New Jersey for 2014

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Photography: 
Richard Krass Photography

It’s been quite the year for Cierra Kaler-Jones, a senior at the School of Arts and Sciences. In June, she was named Miss New Jersey for 2014 and then, after numerous appearances that culminated in a visit to the White House, she competed on national television for the 2015 Miss America title, which was held on September 14 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, not far from her home in Galloway Township. Although Kaler-Jones came up short—the winner was Miss New York, Kira Kazantsev—the experiences underscored her career ambitions.

Kaler-Jones—who is majoring in social work and minoring in women’s and gender studies, critical and comparative race and ethnic studies, and criminology (and who is a member of the dance team)—enjoyed a summer fellowship in India while also hitting the road as Miss New Jersey, advocating for empowering youth through the arts, her platform for the two pageants.

Kaler-Jones, the first member of her family to attend college, intends to earn a master’s degree in education policy and attend law school. And it would be just fine with her if she were to become U.S. Secretary of Education some day.