As you know, the South is known for its hospitality, traditions, football, pageants, and food. Football is almost like a religion here. People say their priorities are faith, family, and then football. People eat, breathe, and sleep it in the South. It's a huge deal.

Many girls prepare their whole lives for this one moment. For me, I see Miss USA as an opportunity to reach new and greater heights in the future.

Ive never really been the type to dress up like the other girls do. Im more of a casual, relaxed kind of girl. More athletic.

Every single model wants to be in Sports Illustrated, and I feel extremely blessed to have that opportunity.

In pageants, you are evaluated from head to toe and its obviously all about looks, and as vain as that is, they can also bring you lots of opportunities to do amazing things.

Ive gotten used to using individual lashes as well. A lot of girls will use strip eyelashes, but the glue comes out of each side and it gets messy. Individual lashes make your eyes look bigger and much more natural.

Of course, I love football, but I'm not one of those die-hard fans that never miss a game or with rooms devoted to team colors. At the end of the day, it's just a game.

I've done modeling since I was 18, but it didn't take off until I moved to Los Angeles. Modeling has always been something I've been really good at, and has been something that's helped pay bills.

I was always the tallest girl in my class, and it made me have really bad posture because I wanted to seem shorter than I really was. It really reflected how I felt about myself. I spent most of my youth in school feeling really insecure about the way I looked because I was different.

The majority of my family is Auburn fans, and I grew up watching Auburn football, and that's always who I've cheered for.