Julie McCombs
Alicia Smith, a Greer High School graduate, is competing as Miss Mt. Pleasant in the Miss South Carolina Pageant this week.
Julie McCombs
“I have a passion, I really love those kids (Special Olympans). They love you with all their heart and they are such an encouragement to others."
Alicia Smith
The Greer High School graduate is Miss Mt. Pleasant. A week of talent, evening gown, swimsuit and on-stage questions leads up to the televised finals (my40 in Greenville, 8-10:30 p.m.) on Saturday at Columbia’s Township Auditorium.
Special Olympic Awareness is Smith’s platform. It’s been dear to her heart since she befriended a friend’s sister who had Down Syndrome. “She made such an impact on me,” Smith said.
Smith enjoys taking the children to the library, fast food restaurants where they order for themselves and other public outings.
“When they are little they don’t understand. They just need a little time,” Smith said. “Also treat the older ones as adults. They are going to know how to interact with people.
“I have a passion, I really love those kids. They love you with all their heart and they are such an encouragement to others,” Smith said.
Smith said her encouragement to enter pageants was through Greer’s Bailey Tyler, Miss Columbia Teen this year.
Smith is looking to enter the College of Charleston to study psychology. College interviews proved to be helpful when facing pageant judges. “The interviews really prepared you for the real world. You just want to be yourself and let them get to know you,” Smith said.
Pageants on the state level require contestants to absorb themselves in physical fitness, talent, mock interviews and invest in thousands of dollars into wardrobes that require up to 14 changes during the week of pageant. Every appearance means a change in wardrobe.
“People don’t realize all the work that goes into competing,” Smith said. “We also make appearances and promote the town (Mt. Pleasant) we are representing. “The Mt. Pleasant committee was very committed to me and worked with me on my appearance schedule.”
Smith said her favorite appearance was at a Mt. Pleasant restaurant that held a fundraiser with local celebrities and TV/radio personalities there. It gave Smith an opportunity to meet people and expose her platform on the radio to the community.
Smith’s talent is singing “Someone Like You” from Jekyll and Hyde. The difficult part was cutting the 3½-minute song to 90 seconds, the maximum allowed in the competition.
“I was trying to find a song that was a good fit for me,” Smith said. “The song is so beautiful and you get to show so much emotion. It’s important to show emotions through your face and passion,” Smith said.