( CNN ) -- She could , maybe , be the first beauty pageant contestant to sport a tattoo , but determining that would necessitate reportage on the obscured derrieres and other regions of hundreds of past contestants . So we 'll just say Miss Kansas , Theresa Vail , is the first beauty queen to prominently sport a large tattoo during a pageant . But that 's not the only thing that sets her apart from most bombshells . The Miss America contestant also hunts deer with a bow and is an M16 marskman ( markswoman ? ) serving in the U.S. Army while double-majoring in Chinese and chemistry at Kansas State . Oh , and she 's working on her private pilot 's license . `` I 'm all about breaking stereotypes , '' she said . `` Everybody thinks of Miss America as this girl on a pedestal . I want her to come down from that . She is just a normal girl . '' Vail elaborated on her tattoo in a blog post last month . `` I am writing this ( blog ) post just weeks away from competing for Miss America because I do not want to shock the nation when I 'm seen in a swimsuit , bearing my marks . I want to explain the meanings and reasons behind them , and why I am opting to show them proudly , '' she wrote in August . Both tattoos are on her right ribcage . One is of the Serenity Prayer , running from her armpit to her hip . It was partially obscured by her bikini strap during the swimsuit segment of the pageant . The other is a military medical insignia . Her plans include a career in dentistry . Tattoos and piercings : How young is too young ? Vail wrote that she chose to get the prayer tattoo because she was bullied as a youngster and the prayer gave her the strength to get through high school and boot camp . She wrote that the insignia was inspired by her father , who was influential in her decision to pursue a dental profession in the military . `` If I were crowned Miss America , bearing my tattoos , do you realize the stereotypes and stigmas it would break ? '' she wrote . `` Do you realize it would pave a path for a whole new audience to compete in the Miss America Organization ? '' Tattoos among the millennial generation are on the rise , according to a 2010 Pew Study : Nearly 40 % are inked . `` If I do n't win the title of Miss America , I can only hope I have changed people 's perceptions of the type of women that choose to compete for it . God , Grant me the Courage to Change the Things I Can ... , '' she wrote . The Miss America Organization will crown its pageant winner Sunday . A request for comment from the organization was not immediately returned .
Miss Kansas to display her tattoos in Miss America pageant . She wrote a blog post explaining her decision . Tattoos among millennials are on the rise , study finds . Miss America will crown its winner Sunday .