Clarksville’s Rachel Smith, who recently completed a volunteer stint at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa, became the second Tennessean in seven years to win the Miss USA title when she won the 2007 pageant Friday evening at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.
The 21-year-old journalism graduate of Belmont University gasped when her name was called by pageant host Nancy O’Dell of Access Hollywood as the successor to the controversial 2006 winner Tara Conner of Kentucky who underwent alcohol rehabilitation after nearly being stripped of her title until pageant owner Donald Trump decided to give her a second opportunity.
Miss Smith, who was a top ten finalist as Miss Tennessee Teen USA in 2002, joins Columbia’s Lynette Cole as the only Volunteer State representatives to win the Miss USA crown in the pageant’s 55 year history.
The 5’11” Miss Smith, who was born in Panama to military parents who served at Fort Campbell, will represent the nation later this year at the Miss Universe Pageant which will be held in Mexico City on the tenth anniversary of the last USA victory for the international title when Hawaii's Brook Lee won the 1997 pageant.
Miss Smith was also a publicity intern at Oprah’s Harpo offices in Chicago prior to her trip to South Africa as well as the managing editor of Belmont’s student newspaper. She has said that she wants to pursue a career as a journalist with an emphasis on the importance of education.
The current Miss Tennessee Teen USA is Chattanooga’s Macy Erwin. The Tyner Academy student could make it a clean sweep for the state when she competes for the 2007 national title this summer.