As sophomore Kristy Moneysmith prepares to give the Miss Ohio pageant another shot, her mentor believes her charismatic and dynamic personality make her a strong candidate.
Moneysmith is a veteran of nearly 20 pageant competitions. Winning the Miss Mohican Valley competition in Ohio earlier in the year qualified her to compete in the Miss Ohio pageant in June. Moneysmith lives in Union City, Ohio.
She said she enjoyed the talent portion of competitions, but the prospect of scholarships and a chance to compete for Miss America were her motivation.
Last year she was one of the youngest contestants in the Miss Ohio competition. Contestants in Miss America can range from 17 to 24 years old, Moneysmith said.
"One of the reasons I started doing these pageants is that I love to sing," Moneysmith said, "and talent is the biggest portion."
She said the talent portion is worth 35 percent of a contestant's total score. She said she competed for American Idol and recorded a CD of her songs.
Five components of the contests include the interview, swimsuit, talent, evening wear and platform.
"The interview portion has helped me in everyday life and given me confidence," Moneysmith said. "I used to think it was the hardest category, especially because I was one of the youngest girls."
Moneysmith said each contestant will represent their platform throughout the entire competition season. Her platform this year is "Mentoring Through Leadership and Role Modeling."
"I am thankful that my parents taught me good morals, but I know there are children who are never taught about that," Moneysmith said. "This is an opportunity to speak publicly and to be a mentor for children."
Moneysmith said she will get what she puts in to pageants.
Kim Kanary, a previous Miss Ohio contestant, has been mentoring her for the last month and a half.
"We work on anything she wants to improve or practice on," Kanary said. "I've helped her practice walking in high heels and things like that."
Moneysmith said she hopes to improve her chances in the Miss Ohio competition this year by making different wardrobe choices and giving more mature answers during the interview section. She practices mock interviews with Kanary and she works out so she can improve her score in the swimsuit competition.
"I try to work out at Ball Gym almost every day," Moneysmith said. "I'm sure they all know me there."
People do not usually realize that there is a difference between the Miss America and Miss USA pageants, Moneysmith said. Miss America has a longer interview section, is more focused on the girls' well-roundedness and how well they represent themselves and takes into consideration their need for scholarship money.
Kanary said Moneysmith has a good chance of winning the contest.
"She has a genuine personality, but yet she has a strong presence when she enters a room," Kanary said.
Moneysmith plans to keep trying for the Miss America title until she is too old to continue competing. As a veteran of the Miss Ohio contest last year, she is confident about the upcoming competition.
"I'm excited," Moneysmith said. "My goal is to win either the talent portion or Top 10. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't expecting to make Top 10. I'm very hopeful."
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