Sitting in her bedroom, this year’s National American Miss Kansas squeezes her 5’11 frame onto her twin-sized bed. Her short brown hair is pulled back from her makeupless face as she brings her long legs up to her sorority’s gray homecoming T-shirt. Brooke Burns, Wichita junior, isn’t your typical pageant princess. She’s not a 100-pound blonde stereotype of a beauty queen and she doesn’t go on strict cottage-cheese diets before pageants. She’s a girl who eats three pieces of pizza for lunch and keeps a candy jar of Starbursts on her shelf.

Beauty pageant contestants commonly evoke ideas of perma press smiles and sequined sashes, but these competitions have evolved into scholarship opportunities, role model campaigns and events that stress the importance of community service. Unlike the Miss America and Miss USA competitions, which focus primarily on talent and facial beauty, National American Miss’ mission statement describes the competition as an opportunity “dedicated to celebrating America’s greatness and encouraging its future leaders.” Burns describes the pageant like a job interview, focusing on communication and personality instead of swimsuit and talent competitions. The National American Miss competition includes a 30-second personal introduction, an interview and a formalwear competition, and also offers optional divisions such as “spokesmodel,” which Burns will compete in this year.

 Burns first began participating in pageants in the junior teen division of National American Miss as a gangly 14-year-old. She says she liked the idea of boosting her self-esteem by being around other girls who were also finding themselves. “I did that one and I was hooked. It’s my anti-drug,” she says.

 After successful runs in the junior teen and teen divisions, this year Burns was invited to apply for the national competition in the miss category. After sending in a picture, three essays and a resume, she left for a study abroad program in France for the summer. On her third day in France she received a phone call from her mother, Dee, and sister, Jordan, who told her that she had been selected as Miss Kansas and would represent the state in the National American Miss competition. “I was crying and screaming in this random hotel in Paris,” Burns says.

 Since arriving back in the states, Burns says the stress has been constant. Aside from being a political science major, she devotes time to practicing interviews, shopping for a formalwear dress and memorizing her personal introduction speech. She sacrifices football Saturdays when she travels home every other weekend to prepare, but says the commitment is worth it.

 Burns’ mother says the competitions have helped her daughter embrace her height by learning poise and self-confidence. “I want this to be one of the best experiences of her life,” she says. Dee helps her daughter by practicing interviews, giving feedback on dresses and playing therapist during panic-stricken phone calls. Burns says her mom is her “team” during competitions.

 For the most part Burns says that people are supportive, asking for autographs or thanking her for representing Kansas. Burns meets the public when making appearances or doing community service work. National American Miss competitors are required to complete five hours of community service before the national pageant over Thanksgiving. Burns has decided to participate in a tree-planting event on October 24 to promote the competition’s emphasis on going green.

 When she’s not adorned in her tiara and sash, Burns enjoys spending time as a student, but she understands the weight of her title and influence. “I can’t have people saying ‘she’s Miss Kansas and she’s belligerently drunk in the bar.’ That doesn’t look good on me or National American Miss,” she says.

 Although Burns loves the role model aspect of the competition, make no mistake that she is a competitor. Stacked away on her shelf are DVDs of past competitions, which she watches and critiques before she goes to sleep at night. She lies in bed visualizing her name being called as the next National American Miss, and driving away in the 2009 Ford Mustang that comes as one of the many prizes.

 “I’m not just going to experience it,” she says. “I’m going to win the crown.”