Cook was born in Redwood City, California to father Steve Cook and mother Patti Cook. She was raised in Granite Bay, California, and a 2011 graduate of Granite Bay High School. Cook attended Oregon Institute of Technology where she studied radiology and was a member of the Hustlin' Owls Volleyball team. In 2016, she graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Sciences and Minors in business and medical sociology. Cook was a member of the Oregon Tech Honor's Program, President of the Honor's Organization of Oregon Tech Club, Lamda Nu Honor Society, and Tech Opportunites Program. She was a recipient of the 2016 Radiologic Sciences Faculty Excellence Award and 2012 Cascade All-Conference Academic Award; nominated for the 2016 Most Dedicated Student Award and 2013 Oregon Tech Pride Award.
Career
Cook is a Clinical Imaging Specialist III for GE Healthcare where she provides the technical and clinical support for fluoroscopic X-Ray machines; more commonly known as C-Arms. She facilitates customer demonstrations, installations, and system operations at various workshops all over the country. Cook is the West Zone Representative on the Clinical Ambassador Council and travels over 80% of the time; primarily supporting the State of Oregon and approximately 13 additional states. Cook is a former Radiologic Technologist at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in Portland, OR. She is credentialed by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists in Radiography and is a member of both the American Society of Radiologic Technologists and the Oregon Board of Medical Imaging.
Pageant Career
Early Pageants
Cook entered her first pageant in 2012 after learning that the Miss America Organization offers scholarships that could pay for her college education. She was seeking alternative scholarship opportunities after multiple concussions forced her to leave the Oregon Tech volleyball team. On April 28, 2012, Cook won the Miss City of Sunshine 2012 title and more than $6,500 in scholarship prizes.. She also won the 2012 Miss Klamath County Academic Excellence Award, 2012 Miss Klamath County Scholar-Athlete Award, 2012 Miss Klamath County Miracle Maker Award, and 2012 Miss Klamath County Miss Congeniality Award. Cook then competed as one of 23 qualifiers in the June 2012 Miss Oregon pageant with the platform "Athletic Concussion Awareness" and a fiddle performance in the talent portion of the competition. She won both preliminary and overall Lifestyle & Fitness awards, the 2012 Tiffany Phillips Scholar-Athlete Award, and was named fourth runner-up to winner Rachel Berry. Cook won an additional $3,200 in scholarships.
Miss Oregon 2013
On April 21, 2013, Cook was crowned Miss Southern Gem 2013. She entered the Miss Oregon pageant at the Seaside Convention Center in June 2013 as one of 22 qualifiers for the state title. Cook's competition talent was an electro-acoustic fiddle performance of the song "Let's Get It Started" by The Black Eyed Peas. Her platform was "Athletic Concussion Awareness" and she won the 2013 Spirit of Katie Harman Award, 2013 Tiffany Phillips Scholar-Athlete Award, and 2013 Miss Oregon Community Service Award. Cook won the competition on Saturday, June 29, 2013, when she received her crown from outgoing Miss Oregon titleholder Nichole Mead. She earned more than $10,000 in scholarship money and other prizes from the state pageant. As Miss Oregon, her activities included public appearances across the state of Oregon. Throughout the year, Cook traveled over 25,000 miles and made over 330 appearances as the Official Hostess of the State of Oregon. Some of the organizations that she worked closely with included, but are not limited to: Brainchampions.org, Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, American Red Cross, Southern Oregon Veteran's Benefit, and the SMART Reading Program. Her reign continued until June 28, 2014, when she crowned her successor, Rebecca Anderson, as Miss Oregon 2014.
In September 2013, Cook was Oregon's representative at the Miss America 2014 pageant in Atlantic City, New Jersey. She was noted for being both the youngest and the tallest of that year's competitors. During the pageant's "Show Us Your Shoes" parade, Cook wore cow print boots and a dress covered in Tillamook Cheese wrappers to represent Oregon's Dairy Industry. Cook was not a finalist for the national crown; however, she won the National Tiffany Phillips Scholar-Athlete Award.
International Junior Miss
The International Junior Miss Scholarship Program is a pageant organization celebrating and encouraging the positive achievements of young ladies ages 4-24. In February 2018, Cook won the title of Miss Oregon 2018 in Portland, OR. In July, 2018, Cook and 58 other young women competed at the IJM International Pageant in San Antonio, TX. The categories included: Casual Wear, Spokesmodel, Talent, Interview, Fun Fashion, and Evening Gown. Cook made the International Overall Top 15 and won Best Overall Interview, Best Overall Fun Fashion, a Spirit Award, and 4th Runner up in the talent competition with an Electric Violin cover of the popular song "Good Feeling" by Flo Rida.
Cook is a Christian who loves sunflowers and anything that sparkles. In her spare time she enjoys Acrylic Painting, a good cup of coffee with friends, and going to the beach.
Advocate
Cook is a former National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics collegiate volleyball athlete and 5-time concussion survivor who passionately advocates for Brain Injury Awareness. She a board member and Social Media / Website Manager for the Let 'Em Play Foundation where officials raise money to pay the athletic participation fees for basketball athletes in the Portland Metro Area. Cook is the Model Bootcamp Runway Coach for the Curvy Chic Closet Foundation where she inspires plus-sizemen and women to be confident in who they are. She also is a donor to the Oregon Scholarship Foundation; believing that EVERYONE can make a difference and encourages others to be the champion of their life!
Cook started playing the violin at age 5. Over the years, she has transitioned from a classically trained violinist, to a fiddler and improvisational musician. Cook began her training through the Suzuki Method and eventually expanded to orchestral performance, musical theory, fiddle, and improv. Primarily, Allison performs on a 1920's German Stradivarius copy with an electric pick- up. However, her newest endeavor includes playing on a Fretless Electric Viper designed by Mark Wood . Some of her most noteworthy performances include a feature on 20/20 playing on the 2014 Miss America Stage, performing the National Anthem at the 2013 Oregon Jamboree, and earning 2nd Place in the Teen Division at the 2009 Annual Fiddletown Fiddle Competition Fiddletown, California. Cook was also a member of the 2015 Spring Klamath County Symphony and 2014 Fall Klamath County Symphony.
