The one thing Meg McGuffin was worried about was becoming a viral video on YouTube during her on-stage question in the 2016 Miss America Competition on Sunday, Sept. 13.
“That was the one thing I didn’t want before my question was to become a YouTube sensation, and I’ve done that," McGuffin said.
McGuffin, Auburn graduate student, represented Alabama in the competition ending the night placing fourth runner-up after competing in swimsuit, evening gown, talent and on-stage question.
Out of the 52 women who entered the competition, only 15 were selected to compete on live television Sunday night.
McGuffin’s answer to the question about her thoughts on presidential candidate Donald Trump elicited a strong response from people.
Some of these responses include hateful messages on social media.
However, McGuffin said she has chosen to see the humor in it and does not regret answering her question as she did.
“I’ve always been very convicted in the way that I feel even when I’m not competing in pageants," McGuffin said. "I think the beautiful thing about our country is that we are all entitled to our own opinion, and we all have the freedom of speech to be able to voice that opinion … It’s funny to me how some people go about voicing how they disagree with what I had to say.”
McGuffin said the anxiety she had while waiting to see if she had been selected for the top 15 was her least favorite part of the night.
“It’s those feelings of uncertainty as to whether or not your friends and family are going to get to watch you on TV," McGuffin said, "whether or not the people who made the trip to Atlantic City and spent a lot of money on plane tickets are going to be able to watch you compete.”
Despite the public eye being fixated on her interview question, what McGuffin said she is focused on going forward is serving the state of Alabama.
“I think, if anything, this trip really lit a fire under my butt to get really involved and to be the epitome of what this program is about, which is service and scholarship," McGuffin said. "I look forward to doing that with my work through Healthy is the New Skinny and through my work with schools in the state and universities.”
Although McGuffin said she thoroughly enjoyed her time preparing for and competing in the 2016 Miss America Competition, she said it is nice to have an end to all the uncertainty.
“While you are there you have this mindset of uncertainty as to whether or not you’re going to go home or whether or not you are going to jump in a plane and be in a new city every two days," McGuffin said. "When they called me as fourth runner-up and I understood that it’s not my calling to be Miss America, it’s my calling to come back to Alabama and to serve this state and see my family and friends I was very relieved.”
However, McGuffin said she enjoyed her time competing as a Miss America contestant.
“It was absolutely incredible," McGuffin said. "I just smile thinking about the past two weeks because it truly was a once in a lifetime opportunity and an incredible experience that I would do over again in a heartbeat.”
At the end of the day, McGuffin said she is happy with how the night went, even if she didn't win.
“The fact that I got to be one of the 52 women competing for Miss America 2016 is just enough," McGuffin said. "Just to be there was enough. I didn’t have to make top 15. I didn’t have to get fourth runner-up. Just being there and being amongst those girls was enough. Fourth runner-up was just the cherry on top."
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