Miss America "I moved to New York with one suitcase and $1,000"

The newly crowned Miss America has told how she moved to New York aged 18 with one suitcase and less than $1,000 I could only afford McDonald's, in pursuit of her beauty pageant dreams.

Mallory Hagan, 24, who was announced winner of the prestigious contest on Saturday, said she could only afford McDonald's meals when she first left her hometown of Opelika, Alabama, for Manhattan as a teenager.

Recalling the challenges she faced she told the Associated Press: 'The struggle was vast. There were days when I had five bucks in my pocket and I would push that $5 between subway fare and meal money.'

Determined to succeed: Mallory Hagan, who was crowned Miss America 2013 on Saturday, has told how she moved to New York when she was 18 years old with one suitcase and less than $1,000

After a short time she managed to secure full-time work allowing her to enroll on a communications course at the Fashion Institute of Technology. 

Explaining her decision to relocate Miss Hagan, who currently lives in the Windsor Terrace area of Brooklyn, said: 'I just knew that the energy of NYC was something that I really loved.

Brave move: Miss Hagan pictured as a teenager, around the time she decided to move from her hometown of Opelika, Alabama to Manhattan in pursuit of her beauty pageant dreams 

'I was always a little more liberal-thinking than my hometown. And I just knew that I needed to get out for a little bit, and I needed to find myself.'

'I was always a little more liberal-thinking than my hometown... I needed to get out for a little bit'

Prior to her recent win Miss Hagan held the titles of Miss New York 2012, Miss New York City 2012, Miss Manhattan 2011 and Miss Brooklyn 2010.

She admitted that her weight constantly fluctuates but over the years she has learned how to make healthy decisions and look after her body.

At this weekend's Miss America contest, which took place at the Planet Hollywood Live in Las Vegas, she performed a tap dance to James Brown's Get Up Off of That Thing and took to the stage in a bikini.