Senath woman competes in four-day pageant for title of Miss Missouri

Dental school may be put on hold for a year if Devon Lea wins the Miss Missouri crown Saturday night.

Lea, who is from Senath, Mo., is no stranger to the Miss Missouri pageant -- last year she competed in the contest but didn't place in the top 10. This year the 22-year-old, who was crowned Miss Jackson in November, enters the four-day pageant with some experience.

"Last year I got my feet wet. This year I plan to go all the way," Lea said Wednesday before the start of the pageant.

For winning the Miss Jackson crown, Lea was awarded a $1,000 scholarship. If she wins the Miss Missouri title, she will receive an additional $8,000 in scholarship money -- which she will use toward paying tuition for dental school someday.

Lea graduated from Southeast Missouri State University in May with a bachelor of science degree in biology. "My ultimate goal is to be a dentist," she said. "If I win Miss Missouri, I won't be able to apply until next fall."

Contestants in the Miss Missouri pageant are judged based on four categories -- talent, swimming suit, evening gown and an interview.

During the interview portion of the pageant, contestants are asked to discuss their specific platforms. Lea's platform is strengthening volunteerism through a not-for-profit alliance in Jackson.

Since being crowned Miss Jackson, Lea has performed numerous hours of volunteer work throughout the community and has raised more than $9,000 for various charities.

"During the pageants they show on television, they're not really showing what we're really out there doing. No one wants to see me come speak to a school or do volunteer work," Lea said. "But we're really out there making a difference in our community."

Marybeth Williams, director of the Miss Jackson pageant, said Lea is a great representative for Jackson and surrounding communities in the Miss Missouri pageant.

"She's been everywhere, done everything she could," Williams said. "She's done numerous speaking engagements and talked at all the schools in the area."

Typically about 10 young women from all over the state compete in the Miss Jackson pageant each year.

Miss Missouri contestants will compete in the talent portion of the contest tonight. The winner of Miss Missouri will be announced Saturday night and will continue on to compete in the Miss America pageant in January.

jfreeze@semissourian.com

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