She’s full of energy and grace and we  were instantly  smitten by Lauren Smolka, the current Miss Hollywood and upcoming Miss California contestant.  She’s beautiful, talented, compassionate and committed.  She’s a recent graduate of Azusa Pacific University and a Citrus College Theater Arts Alum where she acted, danced and sang in the productions of Ragtime and The Wizard of Oz.

The girls at Amelie  recently helped her  prepare a few outfits for her upcoming duties as Miss Hollywood and Miss California contestant events.  We really enjoyed seeing  the Miss America organization through her eyes .  She’s a smart woman and our conversation really educated us on an organization in which we knew very little.  Here’s some snippets of our interview.

Q.  Why did you become involved in the Miss America Org. ?

LS.  The main reason I became involved in the organization was for college scholarship opportunities.  I also saw the stage performance portion of pageants as great experience for my long term goal of becoming an actress.

Q.  What’s your favorite part of the competition and why?

LS.  My favorite part is the talent portion because I love singing (She typically sings musical theater).  But, I also love the interview process because that’s the stage of the competition that gives the judges the opportunity to see who I really am inside.

Q.  How do you prepare for the interview?

LS.  Questions can be anything from what’s your opinion on the situation in Benghazi to how did your parents meet?  In an interview setting it’s really important to have a firm opinion and understanding on topics while not offending others with a different opinion.  This organization has taught me how to understand issues from every possible  side.

Q.  Reality TV has made hits of shows like Toddlers and Tiaras because of the outrageous behavior of  some of the participants.  How do you deal with that stereotypical public opinion?

LS.  Everyone makes snap judgments. Being so passionate about this organization it makes me sad when people put it in a negative category.  But I have learned to not take it personally and just educate people who make those judgments about the positive influence this organization has on women.

Q.  When you were 5 what did you want to be when you grew up?

LS.  An actress.  Acting was something I’ve always wanted to do.  When the Oscars came on I would lock myself in my parents room and get all dressed up and pretend that I was receiving an Oscar.

We’ll be watching and cheering that Academy Award show when you do!