Show shy From to pageant queen Elise Bassett Community Reporter 22 year-old year Rachel McCash has lived in 17 of the 50 United States of America a good quality for Miss USA U.S.A. When asked where are you from she will answer The United States On her 22 birthday Rachel announced she was going to run for Miss Utah as her first step toward her goal to be crowned Miss USA U.S.A. Rachel has spent most of her life moving I never really have lived longer than a year in one place said Rachel She has actually moved 39 times so far Rachel has her father to thank for her unique experience He had a hard time keeping work she explained so whenever hed he'd lose his job wed we'd move to where ever he got hired next All that moving wasn't easy on R Rachel chel I did not like it all at growing up she said I hated it Rachel labeled herself as the shy new student for formost formost formost most of her life This is not nota a very good q quality for a pageant contestant I had to force myself to get over it The strategy that is used used a lot to get over the fear of public performance is to picture the crowd in their underwear In Rachels Rachel's case however it is almost the other way around In part of the pageant the contestants are judged in their swimsuits in front of ofa a huge crowd You have to be pretty brave said Rachel Before pageantry Rachel did a lot of modeling and acting work These experiences prepared her for pageantry Rachel had never had hada a very high opinion of pageant contestants Id always made fun of page pageant ant girls before she said I thought they were not very smart After orientation her tune changed A lot of the girls are in my y exact same position she said all really smart and really talented Contrary to Rachels Rachel's original beliefs pageantry isn't a walk in the park I had no idea dea what it took she said its a lot more than I ever thought it would be Just to compete she had to raise I have no money at all Rachel said if Id I'd k known how w much it would cost I dont don't think I would have got into it at all So far she has spent close to on all the pageantry essentials costume makeup and tanning In the bad economy it is hard for Rachel to find a sponsor In order to raise money she went door to door She raised doing this in hi her neighborhood Rachel said my more humble neighborhood was more willing to give me money than the richy neighborhoods Rachel isn't doing all this work for nothing When she was in in school she had a hard time making friends I usually made friends with the new kids cause we had something in common said Rachel What she wants to do is create a a. a program in high high- schools and middle schools to bring all the new kids together t to create friendship opportunities |