By Jennifer Eisenbart
Staff Writer
For 20-year-old University of Wisconsin-Whitewater student Alyssa Bohm, dancing has always been a part of her life.
“I’ve been tapping since I was five,” said Bohm. “And I’ve done many other variations of dance. But tap was always my favorite.”
On Saturday evening, Bohm used that talent – as well as an impassioned platform about sharing those same dance opportunities with special education students – to win the 2015 Miss Racine Crown at Preservation Hall in Racine.
Bohm tap-danced to a Lady Gaga/Tony Bennett rendition of “It Don’t Mean a Thing” that brought loud applause from the packed audience.
It was Bohm’s fifth attempt at a Miss America local pageant victory – and her first win. She will now compete at Miss Wisconsin in June.
Bohm is a special education major at UW-Whitewater, and her passion for those students is what drove her to start a combination dance team through a national program called “The Sparkle Effect.”
The group helps create inclusive dance and cheer teams at various levels. Bohm started one at Racine Case High School when she was there.
“They were able to cheer on the sidelines with the varsity teams, and perform a few routines at halftime,” Bohm said. “I think it’s important that they should be able to enhance their lives.
“It’s going to make the community realize that they do have opportunities to succeed.”
The win Saturday earned Bohm a $500 scholarship, as well as other prizes that she can use to prepare for Miss Wisconsin, which will be held June 17-20 in Oshkosh.
First runner-up was Ashely Monti, a student at UW-Milwaukee who is a former Miss Burlington Area ChocolateFest.
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