Answering Your Miss America 100 Questions - Part 2 of A Guest Blog by Lauren Bradford

 On Instagram, I asked what questions people would ask a Miss America 100 candidate. Several wonderful questions were submitted. Lauren Bradford, Miss Alabama 2021, was kind enough to take a crack at answering them for us. This is the second of a two part post. I hope you enjoy it!

Miss America is often inexplicable, absolutely unequivocal, and deeply meaningful. As every Miss America candidate has said before me, Miss America is something that very few people have experienced and thus, very few can truly relate and identify; we bonded so much because of the wildness of our shared experiences. 

What was the favorite interview question you were asked?

My favorite interview question was probably about Morgan Freeman. On my resume, I have a “Fun Facts” section and one of mine is that I’ve exchanged gifts with Morgan Freeman. I got to share that story and make the judges laugh - and shamelessly ask them if they had any plugs so I could meet the man who has accepted my gift from his doorstep and returned the favor on mine at my family’s home in Gulf Shores, Alabama. 

I also loved talking about the plans I had curated to deploy if given the job of Miss America. I had spent a lot of time in my preparation curating a Strategic Marketing Plan that I viewed from the lens of an investor and what it meant to truly form collaborations and partnerships at the national level to advance our organization into the next 100 years. I was very eager to talk about this because my studies surround finance and global markets, and I felt that knowledge directly coalesced to helping me become ready for the job of Miss America. 

What kept you grounded during the week?

My faith kept me grounded during every single moment. Even in the moments where I was tempted to completely give up and succumb to the numbing and overwhelming fear and anxiety about my talent on the final night (and in remembering that every moment was internationally broadcasted), God was there. He kept giving peace that I absolutely did not deserve. He taught me so much about His protection during the entire process, and I learn more about this and about His provision, especially in relation to Miss America, every single day. 

Since Miss America, I have been so inspired to continue leaving a legacy and making the broadest impact possible. I know that with or without a crown, I have already received an eternal one - and that is where I want my impact to lie. I am so honored and so humbled to be one of the few women who ever get this experience, and never want to take the experience for granted. 

Here’s to serving Alabama for the next few months — and to a lifetime of service after that. 

I can't thank Lauren enough for answering these questions for us. I hope you enjoyed both of her posts.