Naperville can now say it is home to a queen – a pageant queen, that is. Congratulations to Monica Patankar on being crowned Miss Illinois for America.
Hometown Winner
Patankar recently won the pageant while representing her hometown of Naperville.
“I just love how Naperville has changed over the course of my life,” she said. “We have such a booming downtown area. We are representative of so many different cultures and it just means the world to me to not only be Miss Naperville, but now to be Miss Illinois for America and represent our entire state.”
Active Community Member
Patankar attended District 203 schools growing up, and is an active member of the community. She works as an attorney in Aurora and is also an advocate and practitioner of Indian cultural dance. She has danced at the India Day Parade.
That passion for performance was the driving force in choosing the platform she supports in her pageants.
“So I think it’s really important to share our talents,” said Patankar. “I love dancing and I love spreading that message of seeing something new. Whenever there are young children in the audience, they’re always so excited to see the costumes and hear the music.”
Best of Luck!
Patankar will travel to Las Vegas for the “Miss for America” pageant the week of August 17. Best of luck to Monica!
Naperville News 17’s Casey Krajewski reports.
