14courtStefani Kraker, a 21-year-old resident of Mahopac, NY is the new Miss German-America 2014! Miss Kraker, a senior at Pace University in Manhattan, is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders with Teaching and Bilingual Certifications.

On September 20, 2014, she will ride the “Queen’s Float” on Fifth Avenue during the 57th German-American Steuben Parade. Accompanying her on the float will be her court which includes two princesses: Pavlina Schrielof Norwalk, CT and Brittany Schreiber, of St James, NY. Miss Schriel is pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from New York University’s Steinhardt School in Manhattan, while Miss Schreiber is pursuing her degree in Marketing from Hofstra University in Long Island. Stefani, Pavlina & Brittany all speak German, and are very excited to represent the rich German-American heritage and culture of the tri-state area.

This year’s pageant took place on May 18th in a ceremony held at Reichenbach Hall in Manhattan. A packed house witnessed a pageant that included 3 finalists who ran for the title. The Queen receives a $3,000 scholarship, while each princess receives a $1,000 scholarship. Each contestant was interviewed by a panel of 6 judges, and then introduced individually to the audience. The winner was chosen through a combination of Judge and Audience voting.

Besides crowning Miss German-America, a Junior General and 2 Junior Princesses were introduced: Christian Thomas Fraehmke of New Providence, NJ is the Junior General von Steuben. Lucy Guarnaschelli of Blue Point, NY and Emily Pogozelski, of Garden City, NY are the Junior Princesses.

Over 160 guests were in attendance, including the Parade’s General Chairman – Robert Radske.

Departing Miss German-America, Kristina Kren, remembers this past year fondly: “Being Miss German-America was an experience I will always cherish. It was so rewarding being able to represent my heritage in both the United States and Germany! I hope that young women of German-American descent will be able to take advantage of this same opportunity in years to come.”

The Miss German-America 2014 Pageant was made possible through the generosity of our sponsors, including: Reichebach Hall, Niche Import Co., Hofbrau Munchen, SKI Beer NY, S&H Independent Premium Brands, Tweezerman – The Beauty Tool Experts, Kneipp, filzfelt, the marrow, Servus Cookies, and The Polka Brothers.