Get to Know Miss Edmond
Emoly West—college student, dance instructor and Miss Edmond LibertyFest—is passionately pursuing the title of Miss Oklahoma. With the event quickly approaching, Emoly welcomes the challenge and the opportunity.
Q: As the time for competing for Miss Oklahoma nears, do you get nervous?
A: I choose not to. There are a lot of reasons to worry…like, Am I going to be able to answer the questions correctly? But I am not going to worry about those things. When I know that I want to do something, I focus in on it and do it.
Q: How did you initially get into this type of competition?
A: When I was about eight, my grandmother told me while we were watching a Miss America pageant, “Emoly, you can do this. Look at how they carry themselves. They show their confidence and ability, just like you. You can do this.” She really sparked the fire in me.
Q: What was it like growing up in your household?
A: I was the youngest; I have three older brothers. Watching them sometimes making mistakes and becoming better people taught me some things. Watching them make other decisions that weren’t mistakes…seeing how they benefited immediately, early on I decided that I was going to make the wise decisions without dealing with scar tissue.
Q: What about your Miss Oklahoma platform?
A: I have always had a tender spot in my heart for people to make the wise decisions. I really believe in Kids Eagerly Endorsing Purity (K.E.E.P.). I do endorse people staying away from drugs and alcohol, and I also encourage anybody to refrain from any sexual activity until they are married. I think that people need to understand that at any point in their lives they have the worth and the right to make a change and change things that they don’t believe are right.
Q: If you were not Miss Edmond and running for Miss Oklahoma, what would you like to be?
A: I have a lot of convictions and I feel a real purpose to what I am doing now. But if I was going to be anything else, I would be a Jeep-driving, bleached-blond surfing girl on the beaches of Hawaii.
Q: What is your favorite dish to cook?
A: No doubt, Tilapia marinated in Italian dressing with green beans.
Q: And your favorite junk food?
A: For sure, Dove dark chocolate. The hardest part is remembering that moderation is the key.
In early June, Emoly West will be competing with 42 other finalists for the Miss Oklahoma title. If she wins this competition, she will automatically qualify for the 2009 Miss America Pageant. Emoly often makes special guest appearances throughout Edmond, speaking to children and young adults about the importance of K.E.E.P. She can be reached at misslibertyfest@aol.com.
