Tuscaloosa native to compete for Miss USA title
Tuscaloosa native Baylee Smith will represent Alabama on May 14 during the Miss USA competition in Las Vegas.
Contestants from all 50 states and the District of Columbia will vie for the title of Miss USA, with the winner moving on to compete in the Miss Universe contest.
“Being Miss USA would obviously mean bringing a national title back to ‘Title Town,’ ” said Smith, a Hillcrest High School graduate who was scheduled to depart Tuesday for Las Vegas. “But more importantly, it would also mean showing girls you don’t have to be perfect, or even close to it, to stand up for what you believe in and to accomplish a lifelong dream.”
A 20-year-old sophomore at Troy University, Smith said her love of children inspired both her decision to study early elementary education and her dedication to her anti-bullying platform.
Amy McCool, Smith’s mother, is looking forward to seeing her daughter live out her dream in front of the world.
“I am so proud of Baylee for pursuing such an important goal in her life. Walking across the Miss USA stage has been a dream of hers since she was a little girl,” said McCool. “Baylee is proud to represent the Miss Universe organization because it encourages women to empower other women.”
Smith said she discovered the joy of helping others at the age of seven, when she traveled to Mexico to help a group build a church for an orphanage. Her pageant career began at the age of 9. She said that through pageants, she can use her platform to better the lives of those who are less fortunate.
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“Some people think pageants are shallow, but the majority of young women that compete are very hard-working and driven individuals,” McCool said. “These women also tend to be very involved in their community, especially relating to their platforms.”
McCool said Smith’s anti-bullying platform is very close to her heart.
“Baylee’s platform means the world to her and it will affect her throughout the rest of her life while she dedicates her life to educating young kids,” McCool said. “She was never bullied personally, but believes it is important to stand up for someone when they cannot stand up for themselves.”
Preliminary competitions will begin May 11.
People can watch the pageant live at 7 p.m. May 14 on the Fox Network affiliate WBRC in Birmingham and take part in voting using the free Miss U app available through the App Store. Viewers can also follow Smith on Twitter by following @MissALUSA or @bay_smith. Smith is also on Instagram, @bayleekathrynsmith.
www.tuscaloosanews.com/news/20170501/tuscaloosa-native-to-compete-for-miss-usa-title
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