Furman senior crowned Miss South Carolina USA
By: Emily Barksdale
Issue date: 1/22/10 Section: News
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Law, who is the current Miss South Carolina USA, beat out nearly fifty girls for her title at the state competition the weekend before Thanksgiving and was crowned on Nov. 21, 2009 at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center. In April, she will travel to Las Vegas to spend three weeks that will culminate in the nationwide competition for Miss USA.
Law grew up in Greenville and began competing in pageants at age 13. She was not very fond of pageantry before her first competition. "I really wasn't having a good time," said Law. "I just wanted to be out on the lake with my best friend, but I ended up winning, and after I won, I was like, 'Oh, this is awesome!'"
Now, she said, "I enjoy competing...On this level, you have so many opportunities to meet really interesting people," Law said.
After taking a break for a few years, Law competed in Miss Teen South Carolina and placed in the top five for three years in a row. At Furman she decided to take some more time off to focus on her sorority responsibilities, friends and academics. Last spring, after studying abroad in Turkey, Greece and Italy, she was ready to return to pageantry.
"I'd turned 21 this year and had my cultural experience and thought it would be a good year to go back and try for Miss South Carolina," Law said. "I'd wanted to go back. I always go to have a good time, and you never know what the outcome is going to be, but I've made great friends through it."
Being elevated to this level of competition carries with it a new level of responsibility. "There's always something in the back of your mind, you know," Law said. "You always try to be a responsible individual and now, people do recognize who I am."
Law has gotten to participate in many community and service-oriented activities through her pageantry. Besides making various appearances and interviews, she regularly volunteers with Queen for a Day, a program in which pageant winners visit young cancer patients in the hospital and give them school supplies, manicures, crowns and parties. This winter, she rang the bells for the Salvation Army and this coming summer she will participate in the Special Olympics in Charleston.