BY DC CUEVA
In the past five years, the state of West Virginia has proudly laid claim to being a hotbed for leading ladies of MTV Reality shows. All has to begin with a show that had a short but sweet one-season run: Buckwild - which gave us Shae, Anna, Cara, Salwa and Katie, who is also good friends with Teen Mom's Leah Messer. Real World Ex-Plosion introduced us to Ashley Mitchell, who brought her knack for being a firecracker to The Challenge and now has two titles under her belt whether you like her or not. And last year, Alexis Eddy came to Are You The One? Season 6 and was part of the season's most twisted love tale of her and Keith... and who is also linked to a serial killer case.
But you probably don't know that AYTO was not Lauren's first time on national TV, and the first time she got to seen by viewers across the country came at an event that aired on a network with a broader reach than any cable channel, and where the contest was of determining not who was a perfect match but of who is the best woman judged out of a field of 51 contestants instead of just less than half of that number. And in a strange coincidence, the man who she met ten times at the always nerve-rattling convention of a matchup ceremony happened be the host that night, and one other lady also vying for the ultimate goal became a reality star herself the same summer as Lauren.
Lauren's quest to become a Pageant Queen is this site's latest installment of Before They Were MTV Stars, which takes us to one of the most unique parts of Americana, where the biggest prize is a crown... one for which was just crowned a few days ago halfway across the globe.
Contestants are, of course, judged by their physical attributes, personality traits, intelligence and their talent, and often find themselves in the ringer when the judges ask them tough questions, which can be the difference between being chosen as THE one or not. There are the evening gowns, the now-controversial practice of incorporating a swimsuit & bikini aspect, and even child beauty pageants being the focus of a much publicized reality TV series, TLC's Toddlers & Tiaras which introduced America to Honey Boo Boo.
And sometimes, there can be controversy: discriminatory remarks on Mexican immigrants made on the campaign trail eventually cost a future President his ownership stake in the Miss Universe Organization, which puts on the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants each year. And of course, there is Steve Harvey's infamous flub of incorrectly announcing Colombia's Ariadna Gutierrez as Miss Universe 2015 four years ago, when it was the Philippines' Pia Wurtzbach who actually won the crown, which caused one of the two greatest moments of confusion ever seen on live TV alongside LaLa Land getting snubbed for the 2017 Best Picture Oscar by another envelope mix-up.
It was after what happened in those two embarrassing incidents that the 2017 pageant season began with the quest thousands of young ladies had to become Miss USA. The Miss Universe Organization hoped the controversy of those two years would fade into the background, and turn the focus back to what contests like this are supposed to be about: the competition and the contestants, and the hope that they can be positive examples for young girls everywhere.
But the journey for the 51 contestants that leads up to that spring night in May in Las Vegas began months earlier on a local level. Each year, all the states in the union and the District of Columbia hold a state competition where contestants from every part of the state compete to be their representative in the national competition months later in front of the bright lights. These smaller competitions have the same elements of evening gown, interviews and swimwear as the big contest, and those who win get the opportunity to represent their state on national TV, along with all the responsibilities that come with being crowned their state representative such as social and sporting events, and racking up plenty of frequent flier miles along the way to New York, Disney World and beyond.
So much attention is paid to what takes place on that single night in the spring, but at its heart the pageant experience is more than just being on stage. The registration page on the Miss USA site lists the opportunities afforded by those who decide to go for the crown, from being civic & community minded in giving back and discovering whatever passions they might have, to supporting fellow young women and promoting self-confidence in a time where women are having a greater prominent presence than ever before. And those who won this event like Ali Landry, TRL alum Susie Castillo, Real Housewives' Kenya Moore and Travis Barker's wife Shanna Moakler have gone on to greater fame after the afterglow of their time as Miss USA faded out.
In Lauren's case, the native of a small town by the Ohio River, Mason, WV, entered into the competition that took place in October 2016 eastward in Morgantown where she went to West Virginia University. She made it into the top ten and top five, and to the moment of being in the final two... that close to the crown. And in the last stage of questions from the judging panel, Lauren was asked about - of all things - social media and how she would handle using her account as the reigning Miss West Virginia USA. Given her experience of getting to talk to junior high girls at schools around the state to discuss female empowerment and how to handle life in middle school in a social media age, it would prove to be the difference.
Ask anyone who's been in the spot of making it all the way to the end of pageants like this, and they'll tell you there's nothing like the nervous moments of the final two contestants having to sweat out those nervous moments at the very end of who wins. That's what Lauren got to experience that night in front of a packed auditorium which included 45 people in her entourage: family members, friends and members of her sorority who drove three hours from her childhood hometown to this college town where she calls home to see their own be crowned in what, as she told the Pomeroy Daily Sentinel, "an out-of-body experience."
She and fellow final two contestant Dominique Collins held each other's hands as the event's emcee held the envelope containing the names of the first runner-up and who would be Miss West Virginia USA 2017 and the state's representative in the national competition... all on the same night that its representative in the Miss Teen USA event was determined as well. Below is what happened next...
After the moment she was crowned Miss West Virginia USA 2017, Lauren went backstage for all of the things fit for a pageant queen: photos with family and past winners, and a heads-up from pageant owners on what the coming year would be like and the seven-month road to Las Vegas for Miss USA. This was a new feeling for Lauren, who had competed in thirty-seven previous competitions before that night and who had come up short in most of them. And she had attended the two previous Miss USA's to get a sense of what it would be like if she would be on stage... which she would ultimately get a chance to do so herself.
For the big show itself, Terrence J. joined with Dancing with the Stars' Julianne Hough to host that year's event as they did in 2016, while Pitbull and country singer Brett Eldredge took the stage, as did the cast of one of the many Cirque du Soleil shows that adorn the Strip, Michael Jackson: One. There was no idea that one of the contestants that night would pop up again on a show Terrence was hosting, or that another of the night's entries, Missouri's Bayleigh Dayton, would pop up on another summer 2018 reality show when she was cast on this year's Big Brother 20 and scored fellow houseguest Swaggy C. with an engagement ring & a brief pregnancy. And the 2017 class also produced a future Top 10 singer on The Voice in Georgia's DeAnna Johnson from season 8.
When asked about self-confidence, Lauren told MissUSA.com, "When faced with an opportunity or challenge that I know may be difficult, but will make me a better person, I never back down. I am constantly pushing myself outside of my comfort zone, and this has served as my strength for building self-confidence. I consider myself resilient, tough, and determined. I have persisted despite rejection and defeat." She added on her definition of success, "I believe success is individually defined by each person. Success to one person may not equate to success for another. For me personally, it is being passionate about life, loving the moments you create for yourself, being pleased with the personal growth and progress you’ve made, facing difficult times with dignity and grace, and never giving up on your dreams."
And if she won, Lauren hoped it would put to rest presumed stereotyping about those who come from her state: "Miss USA means opportunity to promote positive change and establish new frontiers. Sadly, negative stereotyping of Appalachian culture and its people is one of the last widely acceptable forms of discrimination. ... But I have found that in the struggle, you find your calling, which is exactly what happened to me. It provides a platform for every young girl to realize that we rise by embracing our roots and by lifting others. There is a true beauty in the faith, values, and kindness of the people around me. It is time for the United States to share and appreciate our strengths, as well as our significant contributions to the nation. By becoming Miss USA, I will prove that Appalachian women can be role models to the entire country and will be a living example that our dreams are much bigger than our circumstances."
Unfortunately - and especially when fifty other ladies were competing for the same goal, Lauren's quest to become Miss USA did not come true, and did not make it into the Top 10 who then competed for the crown. In the end, the District of Columbia made it two straight Miss USA's in a row when 2016 winner DeShauna Barber passed her crown to 2017 successor Kara McCullough, chosen over Chhavi Verg from New Jersey. And the aforementioned Bayleigh placed in to the Top 10 and was voted co-Miss Congeniality as the friendliest & most-welcoming of all the contestants... with no idea about eventually entering a reality house where dirty gameplay is a regular occurrance.
Still - like everyone else who got to compete, Lauren enjoyed the experience of getting to proudly represent her home state on a national stage, getting to know so many other ladies who she shares a bond with the rest of her life, and finally being able to realize a lifelong goal of being pageant queen. She wrote on IG afterwards, "Dreams do come true. ✨My heart is overwhelmed from all of the support I have received, and I am so thankful for this opportunity. Momma, we made it. 💛👑."
And she added shortly after returning from Vegas, "I gave it my all and did my best to put our small state on the map...and my heart is so full from every card, flower arrangement, and encouraging word I have received. I felt every ounce of love sent my way. I've said it once and I'll say it again, I may never be Miss USA, but the people of West Virginia have already made me feel like a winner, and I am eternally thankful. It's an honor to be your queen, and I hope I made you all proud."
Miss WV USA 2017 - Lauren Roush from Sure Shot Studios on Vimeo.
- I AM DC
#DCBLOG
Ask anyone who's been in the spot of making it all the way to the end of pageants like this, and they'll tell you there's nothing like the nervous moments of the final two contestants having to sweat out those nervous moments at the very end of who wins. That's what Lauren got to experience that night in front of a packed auditorium which included 45 people in her entourage: family members, friends and members of her sorority who drove three hours from her childhood hometown to this college town where she calls home to see their own be crowned in what, as she told the Pomeroy Daily Sentinel, "an out-of-body experience."
She and fellow final two contestant Dominique Collins held each other's hands as the event's emcee held the envelope containing the names of the first runner-up and who would be Miss West Virginia USA 2017 and the state's representative in the national competition... all on the same night that its representative in the Miss Teen USA event was determined as well. Below is what happened next...
And she captioned on Instagram @LRoush95 afterwards, "Going to wake up tomorrow thinking it was all a dream... I am Miss WV USA 2017! To everyone who has reached out to congratulate me, thank you SO much. I hope to make the state I hold so dearly proud. All my love xoxo 💙Montani Semper Liberi 💛"
For an event that took place in the autumn in this college town during college football season, it wouldn't be until spring and when final exams are going on for the main event to come around of the Miss USA 2017 Pageant. Once there, the contestants arrive in the host city to go through all kinds of events related to the biggest night of their lives: interviews like the one Lauren did below, photo shoots, sightseeing around Las Vegas and Southern Nevada, and ample amounts of bonding time with the other ladies, among others. And there's the business at hand of the preliminary competition that takes place the night before the big telecast, but it's what happens there that helps to determine who goes on in the quest to be queen.
When asked about self-confidence, Lauren told MissUSA.com, "When faced with an opportunity or challenge that I know may be difficult, but will make me a better person, I never back down. I am constantly pushing myself outside of my comfort zone, and this has served as my strength for building self-confidence. I consider myself resilient, tough, and determined. I have persisted despite rejection and defeat." She added on her definition of success, "I believe success is individually defined by each person. Success to one person may not equate to success for another. For me personally, it is being passionate about life, loving the moments you create for yourself, being pleased with the personal growth and progress you’ve made, facing difficult times with dignity and grace, and never giving up on your dreams."
And if she won, Lauren hoped it would put to rest presumed stereotyping about those who come from her state: "Miss USA means opportunity to promote positive change and establish new frontiers. Sadly, negative stereotyping of Appalachian culture and its people is one of the last widely acceptable forms of discrimination. ... But I have found that in the struggle, you find your calling, which is exactly what happened to me. It provides a platform for every young girl to realize that we rise by embracing our roots and by lifting others. There is a true beauty in the faith, values, and kindness of the people around me. It is time for the United States to share and appreciate our strengths, as well as our significant contributions to the nation. By becoming Miss USA, I will prove that Appalachian women can be role models to the entire country and will be a living example that our dreams are much bigger than our circumstances."
Unfortunately - and especially when fifty other ladies were competing for the same goal, Lauren's quest to become Miss USA did not come true, and did not make it into the Top 10 who then competed for the crown. In the end, the District of Columbia made it two straight Miss USA's in a row when 2016 winner DeShauna Barber passed her crown to 2017 successor Kara McCullough, chosen over Chhavi Verg from New Jersey. And the aforementioned Bayleigh placed in to the Top 10 and was voted co-Miss Congeniality as the friendliest & most-welcoming of all the contestants... with no idea about eventually entering a reality house where dirty gameplay is a regular occurrance.
Still - like everyone else who got to compete, Lauren enjoyed the experience of getting to proudly represent her home state on a national stage, getting to know so many other ladies who she shares a bond with the rest of her life, and finally being able to realize a lifelong goal of being pageant queen. She wrote on IG afterwards, "Dreams do come true. ✨My heart is overwhelmed from all of the support I have received, and I am so thankful for this opportunity. Momma, we made it. 💛👑."
And she added shortly after returning from Vegas, "I gave it my all and did my best to put our small state on the map...and my heart is so full from every card, flower arrangement, and encouraging word I have received. I felt every ounce of love sent my way. I've said it once and I'll say it again, I may never be Miss USA, but the people of West Virginia have already made me feel like a winner, and I am eternally thankful. It's an honor to be your queen, and I hope I made you all proud."
Miss WV USA 2017 - Lauren Roush from Sure Shot Studios on Vimeo.
- I AM DC
#DCBLOG
Photo & Video Courtesies: Pageant Associates, Miss Universe Organization, Superior Pageant Productions
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