In a sleek black gown Nov. 22, Brooke Fletcher was crowned the 2015 Miss Georgia USA in McDonough, Georgia.
Fletcher, a native Georgian who graduated with a business marketing degree, said she loved broadcasting and came to Auburn with the ultimate goal of doing on-camera work.
Most of her experience came from Eagle Eye TV as the entertainment director and a reporter.
She's now the associate director at ESPNU and the SEC Network.
Her pageant experience began with a local pageant, Miss Pride, and in 2009, she competed for Miss Georgia Teen USA, winning on her first try.
"[Miss Georgia Teen] was a great experience," Fletcher said. "But I always knew I wanted to do Miss Georgia USA, but it was just about timing."
In 2014, Fletcher said she focused her energy into working out and eating healthy for Miss Georgia USA, among other preparation with the help of her pageant coach Thomas Barnette.
With more than 25 years of coaching experience, Barnette said he helped Fletcher in areas from interview skills to her image in terms of how she presented herself to the judges.
"Brooke is a natural beauty, super intelligent and just a very likable personality," Barnette said. "She's just as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside."
Barnette said he will be assisting Fletcher in the Miss USA competition in 2015.
The Miss Georgia USA competition consisted of several rounds of swimsuit and evening gown review and interview to narrow down the contestants.
"I didn't think I was going to win," Fletcher said. "I grew up watching Miss USA my whole life, and I always thought about how neat it would be to compete there, and now that I'm going to compete there, it's crazy."
Fletcher believes her experience with Miss Georgia Teen USA and Miss Georgia USA gives her a leg up on what to expect with Miss USA.
She said Eagle Eye TV also helped her think on her feet, answer honestly and not overthink the question during the interview.
"Just doing the interviews with Eagle Eye and constantly talking to people and working with others really taught me to be comfortable talking to people and being in front of the camera," Fletcher said.
Rachel Lundberg, senior in journalism and sports manager of Eagle Eye TV, worked closely with Fletcher in previous years.
Though Fletcher worked behind the scenes, Lundberg said Fletcher's reporting experience helped her gain valuable on-camera skills.
"I'm sure (Eagle Eye) helped her a lot with being comfortable and knowing that she can pause and think about her answer, put it together and say it eloquently," Lundberg said.
Barnette said preparation for Miss USA will be a continuation of the process already in motion.
"It's more than about beauty and being in a pageant," Barnette said. "It's about the empowerment of these young ladies to believe in and love themselves, and to showcase that as an inspiration to other people because I think at the end of the day, the women who compete in these pageants really do have a lot more than just physical beauty."
The location and date of Miss USA 2015 have not been announced yet.
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