Wittler fares well in Miss America

Stefanie Wittler, Miss Tennessee and a UTC senior from Soddy-Daisy, Tenn., placed second runner-up at the Miss America pageant Saturday night.Wittler said she had watched the Miss America pageants with her family when she was growing up.

"I had always wanted to compete on the Miss America stage," Wittler said. "It was a living dream. Knowing millions of girls were watching me was very humbling."

To achieve her dream, Wittler

said it took months of preparation. She said she had trainers, a vocal coach, a current events coach and had to study on her own.

"I had a lot of people helping me," Wittler said. "It's a lot to juggle, but when you really want something, you make it work."

For her talent portion in both the Miss Tennessee and Miss America pageants, Wittler performed "I Will Always Love You."

"It is hard to cut a song down to 90 seconds, but I knew if I made it to Miss America, I wanted to sing it because of the Tennessee history behind it." Wittler said.

It is a song everyone can relate to, she said.

Laura Cagle, a junior from Dandridge, Tenn., watched Wittler compete in the pageant.

"I thought [Wittler] did a great job and broke down a lot of stereotypes," Cagle said. "For example, some people think people from small southern towns are 'backwoods hill-billy.' Sefanie sounded very intelligent and carried herself well."

This was not Wittler's first time trying to win the Miss America crown. Wittler said she competed two times in the Miss Tennessee pageant before she won and was able to move to the national pageant.

Wittler said each time the Miss America judges narrowed the group of contestants down, she tried to stay calm.

"I am a very firm believer everything happens for a reason," Wittler said.

Wittler's platform as Miss Tennessee is helping spread the message of the Ronald McDonald House. She has been working with the organization since 1990, she said.

Wittler said she is the official state spokesperson for all five Ronald McDonald Houses in Tennessee, and organized two events that raised $10,000.

"Long after the pageants and the crowns are gone, I'll still be involved," Wittler said.

Wittler said she and a couple other Miss America contestants will be going on a USO tour in the Middle East during part of the remainder of their state pageant reigns.

"It's nice to give back and support our troops," Wittler said. "They're the reason I'm able to do the job I'm doing."

From the pageants, Wittler has won $30,000 in scholarships. She said the time from school she had to take off in order to fulfill her duties as Miss Tennessee is worth the scholarship money she has won.

"I think coming back to school after a break will make me take things more seriously," Wittler said.

Kittrell Rushing, a Frank McDonald history professor, said, "Miss Wittler is a fine young woman and has performed wonderfully academically."

Wittler said: "UTC has been really supportive of me, and that means more than anything. It's a good feeling knowing people are backing me.