Miss Auburn University Karson Fair wasn’t the only one from Auburn to receive top awards at the Miss Alabama 2018 pageant.
Pageant co-directors Brad Smith, assistant director of student involvement, and Mindy Street, director of development, were named the 2018 directors of the year.
This award was particularly special to Street because,
“It just means a lot because I think it shows Karson’s appreciation for us,” Street said. “Especially after the
Smith and Street both credit each other for the award, they can't do it alone they both agreed.
“We have a great system in place,” Street said. “And great people that work on it [the pageant]. It’s been so fun to do it with Brad.”
There is also a student team from the Student Government Association that helps Miss Auburn University promote her platform and prepare for Miss Alabama each year.
Smith and Street have severed as co-directors for several years, but this was Smith’s last year as a director, making this award extra special.
“It was particularly special this year I think because it’s Brad’s last year being over the program,” Street said. “So it was bitter-sweet because it’s our last year to serve as co-directors together.”
Smith, Street and a team of faculty members from departments across campus work together to prepare each Miss Auburn University for her interview with the Miss Alabama judges.
Fair won
“That’s what we are most proud of,” Smith said. “The way that she demonstrated the intelligence of Auburn women both with her knowledge on current topics as well as just her friendliness and her spirit. She represented Auburn women incredibly well.”
Thanks to Smith and Street’s hard work, along with their student and faculty team, the Miss Auburn University pageant won best large school pageant for the second time in 3 years.
“It’s just a proud moment,” Street said. “We get to go up on stage and on that Saturday we had some of our SGA students there too. So just to have Auburn University represented in that light.”
Smith is the paperwork man, Street said.
He keeps the pageant organized by prioritizing, he said.
“I always call him the paperwork guru,” Street said. “There’s a lot of contracts and things in place all the way up from the Miss America Organization that he is so great at.”
It not only about organizing a great pageant, it’s about mentoring the contestants and helping them prepare for the pageant.
The Miss America Organization holds a special place in Street’s heart and she wants to share that love with all of the contestants in the Miss Auburn University pageants.
“I think our students that participate in it [the pageant] have great experiences,” Street said. “We work really hard to make it that way whether the girls in it place or not. We want them to feel special and empowered and to have access to scholarship money.”
Putting on a
“We annually give out between $25,000 and $35,000 in scholarships to Auburn women who compete in Miss AU thanks to our University Scholarship office who provides that money,” Smith said.
Street knows all about the importance of the scholarships from Miss American Organization pageants. She competed in local pageants in the early 2000s and went to Miss Alabama three times.
She was able to graduate from Auburn debt free and gives all the credit to the Miss America Organization.
“I’m a product of Auburn because of my fortunate successes in the Miss America Organization,” Street said.
It’s all about helping Auburn women showcase how great they are, and helping them achieve their goals for Smith.
“Whether it’s by sharing their talent on stage or whether it’s demonstrating to the panels that do the interviews the intelligence that they carry and the way that they represent the Auburn student body,” Smith said.
The Miss Auburn University 2019 pageant will be held Oct. 7, 2018, in the Telfair B. Peet Theater.
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