The contender : UA senior prepares for Miss USA pageant
Posted on Sunday, April 6, 2008
Northwest Arkansas Times While her friends and classmates frolicked on sandy beaches three weeks ago during spring break, Rachel Howells was confined to her Fayetteville apartment. Yet she did not mind staying in town too much — not with a lengthy trip ahead of her. “ I don’t think I’ve ever been on a spring break trip with my friends … but two-and-a-half weeks in Las Vegas is a pretty good vacation, ” said the 21-yearold University of Arkansas senior.
The trick, though, is to think of her stay at America’s popular playground as more of a business trip. After all, trying to become just the second Arkansas contestant to be crowned Miss USA — Terri Utley of Cabot was chosen in 1982 — in the pageant’s 56-year history is no easy feat in a city known internationally for its colorful distractions.
“ I think that’s going to be the hardest thing to do while I’m there is to stay focused and stay relaxed and get enough sleep, ” Howells said.
Eyes on the prize Although the finals of the actual pageant will not be until 8 p. m. Friday, when it is televised nationally on NBC, Howells flew into town March 26 to kick off a hectic schedule that included too many rehearsals, appearances, photo opportunities and charity events to count. Initial interviews with the panel of judges will take place today. All of the contestants will perform in the pageant’s opening number Friday, but only the top 15 girls will take part in the final swimsuit and evening gown competitions. Those hopefuls will be trimmed down to 10, who will then answer one question on stage before the winner is announced.
“ I think just being aware of how stressful it’s going to be and having that mental preparation already — I think those are the most important things, ” she said.
The Alma native has been to Las Vegas twice before to watch the Miss America pageants for the past two years. For four years, she had competed in the Miss America system, getting as far as the preliminary-winner round in the 2006 Miss Arkansas pageant.
In November, she was one of about 30 contestants at the Miss Arkansas USA pageant during the event’s inaugural run at Bentonville’s Arend Arts Center. After winning the Miss Photogenic award on the first night, she took home the title of giving the best interview before being named Miss Arkansas USA. Moments of that November night are, at best, blurry for Howells.
“ I actually don’t even remember what it felt like because it all happened so fast, but I do remember after the pageant my mom telling me how worried she was because of the look on my face, ” Howells said. “ She said I looked really nervous [on stage ] and that made me nervous. ”
With the coveted tiara in place, Howells decided to take the spring semester off in order to properly prepare for the Miss USA event. Her practice agenda included at least a dozen meetings in Overland Park, Kan., with her main coach, John Vanatta, the president of Vanbros and Associates and executive director of the Miss Arkansas USA pageant and its counterparts in Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Nebraska. On three instances, Howells has met with winners from the other four states for “ boot camps” consisting of such activities as working out, going through mock interviews and practicing makeup.
Howells, who is rooming with Miss Oklahoma USA, Lindsey Jo Harrington, said knowing the four girls from the surrounding states — and getting along with them — would serve as a big advantage in Las Vegas.
“ It’s going to be a lot easier adjusting because it’s not going to be so intimidating, ” she said. “ When you step off the plane, you’re going to know four familiar faces. ” Staying in the moment
Throughout her six years of competing, Howells has received her fair share of advice of what to do when the pressure goes up along with the lights on the big stage of a pageant. Some pearls of wisdom have shone brighter than others.
“ Stay in whatever you’re doing and enjoy it to the fullest so you’re not always jumping ahead to something that might not happen, ” she said. “ That’s one of things we’ve really talked about is just enjoying it for what it is and not worrying about whatever’s to come. ”
Howells’ entry into the pageant world was less than glamorous. Although her exact age — either 5 or 6 — eludes her, she clearly remembers the frilly, white dress she wore — as well as the sling for her broken arm and the scabs on her knees from falling off a treadmill a week before.
“ Apparently I didn’t like the judges because I wouldn’t talk to them, ”’ she recalled.
Regardless of this week’s outcome, Howells has decided this will be her swan song. For one, she will have used up her eligibility in the Miss USA system. She could go back and compete for Miss Arkansas — and ultimately Miss America — again, but her goal of being a pharmacist is too close to ignore after she finishes her undergraduate studies next fall and, hopefully, attends the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock the following fall.
“ I think I’ve done really well and going to Miss USA will be the pinnacle of my pageant career, ” she said. “ I think just as important as when you start and how much time you put into it, ending at the right time is really important, too. It’s going to be bittersweet. I love competing but at the same time I’m at a point in my life where I feel a pull to graduate and go accomplish something else. ”
FEEDBACK:
Something to say about this topic? Submit a Letter to the Editor online
