A WKU alumna has taken home the coveted Miss Kentucky pageant queen title.

On Saturday, June 30, Katie Bouchard, 22, a recent WKU graduate from Owensboro, became Miss Kentucky 2018 and the pageant’s 83rd winner after her third time competing for the title.

“I went numb,” Bouchard said, describing the moment she won. “I didn’t know what to think. It was an amazing feeling.”

In the pageant, Bouchard competed as “Miss Jefferson County” against 30 other contestants. After being interviewed by the judges and competing in the talent, formal gown and swimsuit portions of the competition, Bouchard learned that she had advanced to the top 10.

From the top 10, she became the winner.

As the first place winner, Bouchard received an $18,000 scholarship. She will hold the title for one year, during which she said she will be a paid spokesperson for Kentucky’s Department of Agriculture. In that role, she will be asked to attend and speak at various events and visit schools to meet people in the state.

President Timothy Caboni congratulated Bouchard in a tweet on July 1.

Congratulations to Katie Bouchard on being crowned Miss Kentucky. She is a @WKU social work student and will represent the commonwealth in the Miss America pageant in September. pic.twitter.com/L7zSpyXUw4

— Tim Caboni (@caboni) July 1, 2018

Bouchard said she grew up watching the Miss Kentucky and Miss America pageants, and she started competing in her local county fair’s beauty competitions when she was 13 years old.

“It was my dream to compete,” Bouchard said.

After winning Miss Kentucky, Bouchard plans to compete at the Miss America pageant this September. The preliminary competitions for the national pageant will take place from Sept. 5 to Sept. 7. The official competition will take place on Sunday, Sept. 9, 2018, at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Before the national pageant, though, Bouchard said she will spend weeks training and preparing for the competition. Her preparation includes choosing her wardrobe, meeting with a personal trainer and completing Miss America paperwork.

“It really hasn’t hit me yet that I will be competing in Miss America,” Bouchard said. “The next few weeks will be crazy. I’m really excited to have this opportunity.”

Nicole Ziege can be reached at 270-745-6011 and [email protected]. Follow Nicole Ziege on Twitter at @NicoleZiege.