Kari Virding

Kari Virding Christensen (born February 19, 1983) is an American beauty pageant titleholder from Portland, Oregon, who was named Miss Oregon Teen USA 2000 and crowned Miss Oregon 2007. She competed for the Miss America 2008 title in January 2008 but was not a Top 16 semi-finalist.
Pageant career
Early pageants
As a teen, Virding competed twice in the Miss Oregon Teen USA pageant, part of the Miss USA competition system. She placed second runner-up for the state title in 1999 and was named Miss Oregon Teen USA in 2000.<ref name="tldn070702"/><ref name="msoruswi"/> She went on to compete for the Miss Teen USA 2000 title in August 2000.<ref name="msunte00"/> She was not a Top 10 finalist for the national title.<ref name="msorusti"/>
As an adult, entering the Miss America pageant system, Virding won the Miss City of Roses 2003 title.<ref name="dast030704"/> She competed in the 2003 Miss Oregon pageant with the platform "Promoting Volunteerism: Making a Difference One Hour at a Time" and a vocal performance in the talent portion of the competition.<ref name="msam2003"/> She was not a finalist for the state title. In 2004, Virding won the Miss Tualatin Valley title. She competed in the 2004 Miss Oregon pageant with the platform "City Cares: The Power of an Hour" and a Broadway-style vocal performance in the talent portion of the competition.<ref name="msam2004"/> She was named second runner-up to winner Brook Roberts.<ref name="tigt070704"/><ref name="rgrd040711"/> Virding did not qualify for any state-level pageant in 2005.<ref name="msam2005"/>
As a student at California's Azusa Pacific University, Virding became eligible to compete in California pageants.<ref name="wmwk070704"/> She entered and won the Miss Covina 2006 title on March 31, 2006.<ref name="mscvon06"/><ref name="msfuca06"/> She competed in the 2006 Miss California pageant with the platform "City Cares: The Power of an Hour" and a vocal performance in the talent portion of the competition.<ref name="msam2006"/> She was a Top-10 semi-finalist for the California state title.<ref name="msca06re"/>
Miss Oregon 2007
Returning to Oregon, Virding was crowned Miss Portland 2007.<ref name="msportwi"/> She entered the Miss Oregon pageant in June 2007 as one of 20 qualifiers for the state title.<ref name="saln070701"/> Virding's competition talent was a Broadway-style vocal performance of the Kristin Chenoweth song "The Girl in 14G".<ref name="tigt070704"/><ref name="pltr070705"/> Her platform was "The Make-A-Wish Foundation of America".<ref name="pltr080625"/>
Virding won the competition on Saturday, June 30, 2007, when she received her crown from outgoing Miss Oregon titleholder Donilee McGinnis.<ref name="tldn070702"/><ref name="tigt070704"/> She earned more than $10,000 in scholarship money and other prizes from the state pageant.<ref name="tigt070704"/><ref name="saln070701"/> As Miss Oregon, her activities included public appearances across the state of Oregon.<ref name="pltr080625"/> Virding's reign continued until June 28, 2008, when she crowned her successor, , Miss Oregon 2008.<ref name="pltr080625"/>
Vying for Miss America
Virding was Oregon's representative at the Miss America 2008 pageant in Las Vegas, Nevada, in January 2008.<ref name="msam2007"/> Her roommate during the pageant was Miss Massachusetts 2007, Valerie Amaral.<ref name="sc2d080117"/> She was not chosen as a Top 16 semi-finalist but was awarded a $3,000 scholarship as a non-finalist plus an additional $1,000 scholarship for her performance in the preliminary talent competition.<ref name="msam08sc"/>
Personal life and education
Kari Virding was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and grew up in Tigard, Oregon.<ref name="pltr091029"/><ref name="pltr091127"/> Her father is Jan Terje Virding (1951-2009) and her mother is Melody Lane Virding.<ref name="tigt070704"/><ref name="pltr091127"/> She has two brothers, Kristofer and Kyle.<ref name="pltr091127"/>
Virding is a 2001 graduate of Southridge High School in Beaverton.<ref name="tigt070704"/><ref name="pltr070705"/><ref name="msam08na"/> She is a 2005 graduate of Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, California, where she earned a bachelor's degrees in communications.<ref name="tigt070704"/><ref name="pltr080625"/>
Virding was eight years old when she saw her first Miss Oregon pageant and has attended almost every year since 1991.<ref name="pltr091029"/> She began performing in theatrical productions at age 11 and continued through her youth and early adulthood.<ref name="pltr091029"/> Virding married Eric Christensen in February 2009.<ref name="pltr091029"/>

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