Rebecca Goldsmith ’06

Rebecca Goldsmith ’06 will be in Las Vegas in June, but she won’t be gambling—though she will be competing. Goldsmith will be representing Iowa in the annual Miss USA pageant. When she first began the journey of competing, she couldn’t pinpoint the answer to the number one question she heard—Why? “Six competitions, nine trophies, seven evening gowns and countless indelible friendships later, I can tell you why,” she said. “I compete to experience life, acquire skills, and redeposit what I’ve learned back into society.” Preparing for the June pageant has been nearly a full-time job, she said, and has included travelling the state learning about different charitable causes, and spending time with a team helping her with interview skills, dress design, and more. The most memorable part of being Miss Iowa so far, she said, was taking part in the Variety Telethon, which raised more than $3 million for the children of Iowa. The Miss USA Pageant airs on June 19.