Senior communication major Taryn Foshee reached the top five in the 2007 Miss America Pageant, which aired Monday evening on Country Music Television.Foshee advanced to the Miss America Pageant after winning the Miss Mississippi title in July.
“After working towards that night for over four years, it was such an awesome privilege to be able to walk out on stage after hearing ‘Mississippi,'” said Foshee.
Miss Mississippi chairman Dr. Briggs Hopson said that making it into the top 10 contestants is extremely difficult.
“I was ecstatic when she got in the top 10,” said Hopson. “She’s happy, and she’s pleased. Very few women can say they were third runner-up to Miss America.”
Hopson, who attended the Miss America Pageant in Las Vegas, said that Foshee had a large crowd supporting her at the pageant, which testifies to her character.
“She probably had 125 people there supporting her. She is well respected at Mississippi State and in Clinton,” Hopson said.
Miss Mississippi producer Pat Hopson said that Foshee’s presentation and appearance at the Miss America Pageant went beautifully.
“I thought she was absolutely beautiful. She had a sparkle and didn’t look tired,” Pat Hopson said.
Pat Hopson, who has worked in pageants since 1973 and has produced the Miss Mississippi show since 1995, said Foshee’s energy and hard work set her apart from other girls.
“She has tireless energy, and that’s something you need to survive,” Pat Hopson said. “She’s a determined, tireless, talented and beautiful young woman.”
Pat Hopson said the goal of the Miss Mississippi Pageant is to provide scholarship and opportunities for women from the state.
“Any recognition that Miss Mississippi receives brings recognition to our state,” Pat Hopson said.
According to the Miss America Web site, the Miss America Organization gave 45 million dollars in cash and scholarship assistance to over 12,000 women who competed at the national, state and local levels. It is the world’s largest provider of scholarship assistance for young women.
Karen Jones, Miss Mississippi business manager, said that working with Foshee has been easy because Foshee is reliable and always on time for her appearances and events.
“She’s a very sweet girl, and she is very dependable. She’s been very easy to work with,” she said.
Jones said Foshee had solid answers in her interview and did a great job in Monday night’s pageant.
“I thought she was wonderful. I think she nailed her talent and looked great in her evening gown,” said Jones.
Foshee’s Miss America training began right after she was crowned Miss Mississippi.
“Since then I have worked out at least three hours a day, practiced the piano for one hour a day, had many mock interviews, prepared my wardrobe, and the best preparation of all which was actually doing the job of Miss Mississippi: traveling the state promoting the organization and my platform to audiences of all ages, sizes and purposes,” Foshee said.
Foshee said that during the Miss America Pageant, things happened so quickly that she had little time to think about what was going on.
“But now that I have had time to really realize what it is that I accomplished, I have felt the entire range of emotions from disbelief (that I really did it), to sadness (that it is all over), to relief (that the hard work paid off), to absolute joy and excitement,” Foshee said.
“I can still right now picture myself standing on that stage after being called into the top five and looking out into the audience thinking, ‘I cannot believe I am here, that I am actually doing this,'” Foshee said.
Foshee said that she was not nervous during the Miss America Pageant.
“First, I had so many people praying for me. I asked for everyone to pray that I would have peace and be able to enjoy every minute of the experience, which I did,” Foshee said. “Secondly, I worked so hard in preparation that when I got there I knew I had done my best and was able to just relax and enjoy the moment.”
A senior communication major with an emphasis in public relations, Foshee plans to pursue law school.
She is president of the Lambda Sigma honors society, a Shackouls Honors Program student and a member of Chi Omega sorority.
She has also held positions in Order of Omega, Freshman Forum and MSU OnAir and was the Panhellenic public relations chair.
Foshee has been a president’s scholar in 2004, 2005 and 2006 and received the 2006 Hank Flick Outstanding Service scholarship.
She is from Clinton and lives with her parents Jim and Kathleen Foshee and her sister Victoria.
Foshee began playing piano at age eight and has studied under professional pianists. She used her piano skills as her talent for the Miss America Pageant.
Foshee is the spokeswoman for SON Valley in Canton. SON Valley is an assisted-living community for adults with mental handicaps.
In high school, she started the Adopt a Special Friend program. The pen pal program paired high school students with special needs students.
Foshee said on the CMT Web site that her uncle Paul, who has Down Syndrome, is the reason she has chosen to work with the mentally challenged. She said that he has brought the family much joy, but at the same time there are still difficulties, and Foshee wants to be able to help others with similar situations.
On the CMT Web site, Foshee was asked to name one thing that people might not immediately know or realize about her. She said, “I do not take myself too seriously. Along with my successes, I have made mistakes, failed and just had bad luck, but I am always the first one to laugh it all off in order to focus on the next challenge.”
Foshee said that she was genuinely excited for Miss Oklahoma Lauren Nelson, who was crowned Miss America 2007.
Thanks to the Miss America cruise in October, Foshee got to know Nelson as well as Miss Georgia Amanda Kozak and Miss Alabama Melinda Toole, who both placed as runner-ups.
“Georgia and I were actually roommates, and Oklahoma and Alabama were next door,” said Foshee. “So the reactions we had (running across the stage to hug each other as our names were called) were very genuine emotions. We truly were five friends experiencing this once in a lifetime opportunity together, and it was very special.”
Senior Kelly Napier, one of Foshee’s roommates and sorority sisters, described Foshee as genuine and friendly.
“She’s down to earth and the most real person you’ve ever met,” said Napier.
Napier attended the Miss America Pageant and has also watched Foshee in the past two Miss Mississippi pageants.
“That’s the best I’ve ever seen her look and perform,” said Napier. “It was amazing and surreal to see her up there, especially when she got in the top five.”
“She’s an all-around great person, and she’s been a great role model for our school and for Mississippi,” Napier said.