The winner of this pageant will proceed to the Miss America Pageant.

Bowyer is from Columbia City, Ind., and graduated from Ball State in May with a degree in psychology. Her platform issue is multiple sclerosis awareness.

"My father has had MS since I was born, so I am aware of the challenges the victims of this disease face," she said. "I hope to help, encourage and educate victims and their families on positive ways of dealing with MS and its hardships. I have also begun to educate children with my program 'Making Sense of MS.'"

More information about Miss Ball State is available at www.bsu.edu/studentfoundation/missballstate.

Ticket information for the Miss Indiana pageant can be found at www.missindiana.org or by calling (812) 237-3737.