ST. THOMAS - Striking a pose behind a steel pan in a photo on the front page of yesterday's Philadelphia Inquirer, 22-year-old Allison Bourne-Vanneck exudes confidence as the Miss America pageant pushes toward a climax tonight.

The Virgin Islands representative in the national pageant also has received a nod of approval from Entertainment Weekly.

"We're pulling for Miss Virgin Islands, Allison Bourne-Vanneck, who wants to create a TV network dedicated to women, sports, fitness and entertainment," according to Friday's online edition of its picks for "Tonight's Best TV."

The St. Thomas native will be surrounded by family members, former classmates and friends who are flocking to Las Vegas to root for her.

Following swimsuit, evening gown and talent preliminaries all week, she answered questions last night from a panel of judges that included recording artist Brian McKnight.

"She said she felt it went very well. She was very confident, and she said she looked them right in the eye," Cynthia Jerry, executive director of the Miss Virgin Islands Scholarship Organization, said.

The Miss America 2006 final competition night will be broadcast live nationally

from 8 to 10 p.m. Saturday on Country Music Television. Locally, supporters can gather at Mahogany Run Golf Course Grill Room from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m. to watch the live telecast from the Aladdin Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on four high-definition flat-screen televisions. The cost is $20 per person, and proceeds will go toward Bourne-Vanneck's new nonprofit organization, Girls in S.P.O.R.T.S. Inc., which is focused on building self-esteem through athletics.

During a short video presentation screened in front of the judges, she is featured playing the steel drum at Magens Bay. Additional footage provided by the V.I. Department of Tourism showcases the beaches and other scenes in the territory, Jerry said.

Between her rigorous rehearsal schedule, Bourne-Vanneck has done some sightseeing, attended the Jay Leno show in Hollywood and done an interview with Entertainment Weekly.

"One thing we know is that she's made many friends," Jerry said. "People are seeking her out."

Bourne-Vanneck is a business administration graduate of the College of William and Mary.

Her platform is "Respect Us, Don't Neglect Us: Transforming the Lives of Girls Emotionally & Physically through Sports."

She plans to pursue master's degrees in business and journalism.

Bourne-Vanneck, a former Antilles student, has several awards to her name, including the Hulen Willis Scholarship Recipient; Business Administration Dean's Cabinet; and The William and Mary Business Administration Excellence Award 2005.

Bourne-Vanneck won the Miss Virgin Islands competition on May 21, 2005.

Once she returns, Bourne-Vanneck will visit schools throughout the territory to encourage others to sign up for the pageant and will mentor girls on self-esteem and athletics.

Women interested in the local pageant must register by March 31. The criteria is that they be 17 to 24 years old, be a Virgin Islands resident, have aspirations for higher education, be single, never married, never have had a child and possess talent, Jerry said.

The Miss Virgin Islands pageant will be held June 10 at Reichhold Center for the Arts.

For more information, call 777-8883 or visit www.missamerica.org or www.cmt.com.

- Contact Ayesha Morris at 774-8772 ext. 302 or e-mail amorris@dailynews.vi.