Miss America leans
on faith for grounding


United Methodist News Service
Miss America 2007 says she is relying on her faith to keep her grounded during the hectic year that lies ahead.
Lauren Nelson, 20, a member of Centenary UMC, Lawton, Okla., won the title Jan. 29 in Las Vegas.
“It has been a whirlwind of a first two weeks,” she said in a telephone interview. “I have been in probably six different cities already, and I will probably travel about 20,000 miles a month. I am very excited about this opportunity.”
Nelson took a year off from her studies at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond to compete first in the Oklahoma state pageant and then to vie with 51 other contestants for the Miss America crown.
Her long-term goals are to earn a master’s degree in musical theater and perform on Broadway.
She received a $50,000 scholarship with the crown.
In performing her “royal” duties, Nelson is relying heavily on her faith and her favorite scriptures, Psalm 23 and Philippines 4:13, to sustain her.
“They are my favorites because they are the ones I remember learning as a little girl and loving for the first time,” she said.
Nelson said faith “plays a huge role” in her life.
“I grew up in church,” she said. “I was baptized in the Methodist Church and have gone since I was a baby.
“So, especially this year, my faith will keep me grounded and will keep me going. This year is going to be a very hectic schedule, and sometimes I am going to doubt myself, but I have to realize that God would not have put me in this position if he did not know that I could handle it.”
For Nelson, being Miss America means “representing the youth of America, representing the ideals of America.”
“I think especially now in our society we need a strong role model, and that is what I represent, and it is such an honor to be able to do that,” she said.
Nelson said she wants others to see her faith in her actions.
“You can say a lot of things, but you have to show that you are a Christian and make the right choices because of that,” she said.
Throughout 2007 and beyond her tenure as Miss America, she intends “to take it a day at a time and be grateful for every opportunity, thank God for every opportunity, and use every day to glorify him and give all the glory to him.”
The contacts, experiences and doors opened through being Miss America “are absolutely endless” and filled with possibilities, she noted.
“This year can take my life down a whole ’nother path,” she said.
The Miss America Organization provides outlets for young women to achieve their personal and professional goals and instills a spirit of community service through a variety of nationwide, community-based programs, according to the organization’s Web site. The organization annually chooses a national platform, and the reigning Miss America promotes that platform and raises money for it and the Miss America Organization.
Miss America also chooses a personal platform, and Nelson’s personal issue is “Be NetSmart—Protecting Kids Online.”
Nelson is excited about the year ahead and grateful for the support of the people at Centenary UMC.
“Since I was a little girl, they have supported me and encouraged me throughout every endeavor that I have had, and it has been no different for the Miss America pageant,” she said.
“I want to thank them for their support, their prayer and love. I am so honored and proud to be able to share this with them.”