Miss Montana returns home to a parade

People in Havre might remember Lauren Scofield as the girl down the street, a classmate or someone active in community activities, but for the past few months she has been known to the rest of the state and country as Miss Montana.  

Scofield returned home this weekend for the first time since she was crowned Miss Montana in June and a week after representing the state at the Miss America pageant in Atlantic City, New Jersey. She visited with friends and Saturday was greeted with great fanfare as she sported a gold gown and crown  while riding in the Festival Days parade.

Though she moved to Helena four years ago to attend Carroll College, Scofield, 22, said she still considers Havre home. In fact, she insisted on listing it as her hometown when contestants would have to write where they were from.

"It's just fitting with the support I've had from here," she said.

When Scofield was growing up she was always active in the community. She was student body president, took part in Leadership High School through the Havre Area Chamber of Commerce. Scofield also played soccer, was a cheerleader and competed in cross country.

"I always say this: One of my favorite parts about growing up in a small town and being in Havre is that I always had so many opportunities to try different things," she said.

Scofield's aunt Kamela Compton Bohlinger was crowned Miss Montana in 1986, and Scofield always considered competing.

"She planted this pageant bug in my head, but by the end of college I was like, no, I don't think I am going to," Scofield said.

In April she changed her mind, just a month before she graduated with her degree in biochemistry and molecular biology.

Scofield said that she decided to compete in part because of the scholarship money that is offered by the Miss Montana Foundation. She said so far she has received more than $8,000 in scholarships. The money, she said, will also help her pay off debts, as she hopes to attend medical school next year with the goal of eventually becoming an OB-GYN.

She said she also wanted to take the chance to serve others.

The Miss Montana organization is open to women from the ages of 17 to 24, with the winner then going on to compete in the Miss America pageant. The winner, once crowned, also then commits herself to a year of service.

Scofield said she felt humbled to be chosen from 11 other contestants this past June in Glendive.

Then, in the end of August and in September, she and 51 other contestants competed for two weeks for the title of Miss America. She said that at one point she even teared up.

"Yeah, it was just cool to be there. I didn't think I would ever be on the Miss America stage," Scofield said.

In the first week of the contest, contestants took part in a preliminary competition, before the second week when the televised portion took place.

Aside from the swimsuit competition and the modeling of the gowns, scenes most often associated with the pageant, contestants also perform in the talent portion of the pageant and are interviewed at least twice. One interview takes place publicly during the televised portion of the pageant and is often about current events and other such topics. A second interview by a six-judge panel takes place alone with each contestant, where questions on an array of topics are asked ranging from current events to the personal.

She said the experience was intense but through help from an interview coach, she also learned more about herself.

"It was challenging for me at first just to really like dig deep into my values and it really solidified what I believe in," Scofield said. "I feel so much more powerful and empowered that I have been able to do that. It's a great opportunity."

Scofield did not end up winning the Miss America crown. Instead that honor went to Savvy Shields of Arkansas. But though she did not win, she said being on the stage and representing her home state was quite the experience.  

"Being on the Miss America stage is something, I feel, every little girl dreams of," she said. "So actually being there and having it happen and having my family there, and it is so loud in that arena, yeah awesome."

But Scofield's work as Miss Montana is far from over. For the next year she will be working to promote her platform of STEM - Science, technology, Engineering and Math.

She said that she chose STEM because having grown up with a mother as a math teacher and an aunt as a science teacher she wants to make sure women have role models in  the field and show children that math and science can be fun.

In the next year, Scofield said, she will take part in a tour of more than 170 schools throughout Montana to promote STEM. She has also taken part in other non STEM-related activities such as visiting patients at the Shodair Children's Hospital in Helena, where she reads to patients.

But one of the parts in which Scofield's life has changed after being crowned Miss Montana is the response she gets from children when she is seen wearing her crown.

"Every time I have my crown on little kids just treat me like I am a princess," she said.