My Dinner with Miss America

When I sat down to dinner on Tuesday evening one of the seats at my table was occupied by Miss America.

Lauren Nelson, who was named Miss America 2007 in January of this year, spent an evening with the members of her church in Lawton, Oklahoma at an event that was not open to the public or the media. Lauren visited with church members while they dined, cheerfully autographing publicity stills that had been placed on the tables.

After dinner Miss Nelson spoke about the eight months that she has spent representing our country as Miss America. Her audience was treated to a rare glimpse inside the life of a reigning Miss America. She travels an average of 20,000 miles a month, making appearances everywhere from auto shows to hospitals. Lauren is not allowed to stay with her family when visiting home, she must stay in a hotel and she also is not allowed to drive. The Miss America organization employs two traveling companions for her, and they spend alternate months traveling with Lauren.

She works diligently for her platform of Internet Safety. Recently the Symantec Corporation partnered with the Miss America organization to help families teach their children how to be safe on the Internet.

Lauren is an advocate for children and as part of that advocacy she has also teamed up with the Southwest Dairy Farmers Alliance in a campaign to help teach kids about good nutrition and promote milk drinking. She is currently featured on billboards throughout Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Missouri, and Arkansas encouraging people to drink milk. Lauren will also be appearing with the Southwest Dairy Farmer's Mobile Dairy Classrooms at schools, fairs, festivals, and livestock shows.

During her speech on Tuesday evening Lauren shared some anecdotes about her most memorable moments as Miss America so far, which included sitting next to Best Actor Oscar winner Forrest Whitaker on a plane, and making two red carpet appearances, one at an Academy Awards pre-party where she spent time visiting with nominee Abigail Breslin from "Little Miss Sunshine".

This poised young woman has also made a change in career plans. While she originally had hoped to move to New York and work in musical theater, she now says she realizes there is no place like home. After obtaining her Masters Degree in Music Education she plans on teaching music to high school students in her home state of Oklahoma. When her reign as Miss America is complete, Lauren will be making appearances as a former Miss America while returning to college.

Lauren sang three songs for the audience during her appearance: "You'll Be In My Heart", which she sang during the Miss America pageant, "My Destiny", a song by American Idol contestant Katherine McPhee, and "You'll Never Walk Alone". She proudly told the group that the last song was one that her father had sung at his high school graduation.

After Miss Nelson's performance, there was a question and answer session where audience members could ask questions of the pageant winner. The younger members of her audience wanted to know whether or not she had a boyfriend (she does) or a pet (she does not), while the older members asked about her future plans and her feelings on being named the second youngest Miss America in history at age 20. Throughout her speech and the question and answer period, Lauren never wavered in her firm belief that God put her exactly where he meant for her to be.

At the end of the evening Lauren graciously posed for pictures with anyone who wanted to have one taken and the line was quite long.

This lovely and poised young woman has made her hometown and her church family proud and the people of the United States should also be proud to have someone with such integrity, beauty, and talent representing their country as Miss America.

Sources:

Miss America Organization. http://www.missamerica.org