HOT SPRINGS - When Amy Crain was 13, she went to her first Miss Arkansas pageant as a spectator and fell in love with the idea of competing. It wasn’t long after watching her hometown winner, Lauren Davidson, receive the crown that she wrote her parents a four page essay detailing why she wanted to compete in the Miss America system.
After three years of stiff competition for Miss Teen Arkansas and four years competing for Miss Arkansas, she will finally get her chance to contend for the title of Miss America.
“I was so serious about it and I knew if I stuck with this goal that it would change my life forever,” Crain said Sunday, one day after being crowned Miss Arkansas 2013. “Not necessarily by winning, but from the confidence you gain and the opportunities to really serve other people.”
Crain, 23, is the daughter of Jimmy and Terri Crain and is originally from El Dorado but moved to Hot Springs when she was a senior in high school.
Being named Miss Arkansas was a dream come true for Crain, who thought the day might never come. Upon the announcement that she would be crowned Miss Arkansas 2013 Saturday night, Crain clutched her temples and dropped to her knees in disbelief.
“I honestly didn’t think it was going to happen,” she said. “I wanted it to happen and I had been dreaming about it for so long but when you try so many times, and you feel like you’ve gotten close and it just hasn’t happened, you don’t ever dream that the moment is actually going to come.”
Her father, Jimmy, said that he was ecstatic about her win. “I am proud of her,” he said. “Not proud of her that she won, but proud of her tenacity to keep coming back.”
Crain said that she came back for her final try at the crown so she wouldn’t have any regrets. “This has been my dream and unlike many others mine had an expiration date,” she said.
As part of her platform as Miss Arkansas, Crain plans to take her message to students, communities and civic organizations across the state. Her platform is Bullying: Prevention and Recovery.
As a teenager, she had more to worry about than roses and runways; she worried about her well-being. As a competitor for Miss Teen Arkansas, Crain was the victim of cyber-bullying to the point of receiving death threats.
Because of the daily tormenting and taunting she is now a determined advocate against the hatred and anger.
“Whenever I was in high school I went through a bullying experience,” she said. “Since then I know what it feels like to be emotionally struggling with that, to go through those difficult times and what it can do to your self esteem and the damage that can occur there.”
As serious as the matter was for her at the time, she has turned the experience into a positive one and plans to use it to help others, whether it be the victim, a bystander or the bully.
“I think it is really important for me to share my story and to relate to the other kids who are going through the situation,” she said. “You can still accomplish your dreams and goals just by what you’ve been through.”
Her mother, Terri, said that although she wishes Crain was never bullied, she wouldn’t take it back. “It made her who she is today and she is a stronger person because of it,” she said.
As Miss Diamond Lakes, Crain launched a bullying campaign called “All In,” which encourages students to invest in their success by respecting others, regardless of who they are. She is also a member of Bully Police USA, The Bully Project and Mean Stinks, which are organizations intended to create innovative ways to combat bullying.
For the next five weeks, she will intensely prepare for her run for Miss America on Sept. 15, which happens to fall on her 24th birthday.
“It is important to be as prepared as you possibly can be for whatever is to come that week and go into it knowing that you are being the best version of yourself,” Crain said.
She also said that she may use the same dance routine, which won her the Overall Talent Award at Saturday’s competition. “I think that we are going to stick with what works,” she said with a smile.
After her term as Miss Arkansas, Crain plans to pursue a master’s degree in business administration.
Northwest Arkansas, Pages 7 on 07/22/2013