December 11, 2010
Smith nabs Miss Oklahoma USA title
By Aaron Wright Gray
The Norman Transcript
Photo by Todd Ballje - Makeup by Jennifer McLaughlin
So it came as a surprise to Smith when she swept the contest — her first pageant ever — taking awards for best interview, most photogenic and people’s choice, along with the crown.
Smith, a Norman resident, won the title of Miss Oklahoma USA 2011 over Thanksgiving weekend.
Now she has her sights set on the Miss USA pageant in May.
Smith said she would have had a positive first pageant experience, even if she hadn’t won. She enjoyed meeting the women she competed with and became particularly close to the other top winners.
“The three of us just got along really well,” Smith said.
She said preparing for the pageant also allowed her to grow as a person as she researched politics and news items and formed opinions on her stance on these situations.
“It was very mental. I learned a lot about myself,” Smith said.
For her platform, Smith chose domestic violence against women, saying that she developed passionate feelings for preventing abuse after seeing her friend involved in a verbally abusive relationship.
Smith has taken a semester off her pre-medical studies at OU to prepare for May and the national Miss USA pageant.
“There’s so much that goes into it, I didn’t want to do either one halfway,” she said about her decision to delay school.
Meanwhile, Smith plans on staying busy with public appearances.
The California-native has no pressure-filled expectations for the national contest.
“I’m just kind of excited to see where it takes me,” she said.
Despite her big win coming early on, Smith has decided to cut her pageantry career short.
“I think this will be it for me,” she said.
Although she’s excited to prepare for and be a part of Miss USA, she is thrilled to have won the title of Miss Oklahoma and is content with her accomplishments.
Aaron Wright Gray 366-3533 pop@normantranscript.com
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