Catherine Crosby Interview
Miss Alabama 2003 + top 15 @ Miss America 2004 & Quality of Life winner
Why did you decide to compete in the Miss Homewood Area pageant?
At that time, Miss Homewood Area was considered one of the most prestigious pageants in the Miss Alabama system, and awarded a huge amount of prizes and scholarship money to their winner. Previous winners had made it to the top five at Miss Alabama, so the opportunity to work with directors Billy Jenkins and Kevin Hathcock was invaluable. The year I competed in Miss Homewood, there were 32 contestants-- including everyone from the top ten and top five at the Miss Alabama Pageant just a month before. I knew that if I won that title, I would have a good shot at winning Miss Alabama the following June.
Tell us about your platform "First Vote: America's Freedom to Choose".
In college at Auburn University, I majored in history and political science. Still, when I tried to discuss anything dealing with the political process with my peers, they were at a loss. I discovered that there is an overwhelming lack of participation among 18-25 year old voters, and set out to try and make a difference. My research on the issue led me to the Close Up Foundation, the largest non-profit, non-partisan civic education organization in the United States. Close Up’s “First Vote” program makes sense – it gives high school students, seniors in particular, the basic background information they need to become registered, informed voters. Targeting students before they left for college, and educating them about the importance of participation in our democracy, was the most efficient way to make sure that we have an educated electorate. Through First Vote, I helped Alabama’s Secretary of State develop a Help America Vote Act plan, which provided over 18 million dollars in federal funding to the State of Alabama to improve our electoral process. I visited tons of schools and spoke to thousands of students about voting, and registered as many as possible. I was thrilled to see the attention paid to younger voters in the 2004 election, and particularly in the 2008 election. There’s still a long way to go, but we have made progress in the past 8 years.
What was going through your head when you were called into the top 15 at Miss America?
I was excited, honored, and ready to compete! I felt like my interview at Miss America could not have gone better, and had positioned myself to take First Vote to the next level. In other words, I wanted more than anything to be Miss America and had worked as hard as I could to make that dream possible. I was also thrilled that my dear friends Miss Maryland, Marina Harrison, Miss Michigan, Madonna Emond, and Miss Georgia, Andrea Bailey, had made the Top 15 with me! Although God did not plan for me to win Miss America that night, I was proud to represent Alabama and humbled that the judges panel allowed me to make the first cut in a group of such amazing young women.
What emotions were you going through when you crowned your successor?
Miss Alabama is definitely a job, and requires a lot of time and travel. I made well over 150 appearances that year to every corner of the State, parts of the Southeast, and even the U.S. Virgin Islands! Although I was sad to close the door on an incredible experience, I was excited to learn who would join me as a “sister” in the club of former Miss Alabamas and ready to start the next chapter of my life. I was also very mindful of the fact that the title of Miss Alabama had made my dream of going to law school possible, and that my tuition would be paid for through the scholarship money I earned as Miss Alabama and at Miss America.
What would be your most memorable moment as Miss Alabama?
On my very first day as Miss Alabama, I received a call around 10 AM from the Secretary of State, requesting my help lobbying for the passage of the Help America Vote Act Bill I had worked on. A few short hours later, I addressed the entire Alabama State Legislature regarding the importance of the bill. It was a fabulous start to a very exciting year! A close second would be shooting the television showWhile You Were Out, which was a ton of fun and was good exposure for our program.
What have you been up to since your reign as Miss Alabama ended?
Two months after crowning my successor, I began law school at the University of Alabama School of Law. I graduated cum laude in May of 2007, and began work in business litigation at Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, P.C. in Birmingham that August. My husband Frank, whom I met in law school, and I have two adorable sons, Franklin, who is two and a half, and Crosby, who is nine months old. We spend lots of time playing with trains and cars right now! I have remained involved in the Miss Alabama Program as a local preliminary judge and also help to coordinate the Pageant’s Annual Awards Luncheon every year, where the contestants receive community service awards and hear from many former Miss Alabamas about their experience in the system. I still use the skills I learned competing in this program every day: first impressions count; be an expert on your chosen topic; hard work reaps just rewards; experience speaking publicly will serve you well; and have a servant’s heart.
At that time, Miss Homewood Area was considered one of the most prestigious pageants in the Miss Alabama system, and awarded a huge amount of prizes and scholarship money to their winner. Previous winners had made it to the top five at Miss Alabama, so the opportunity to work with directors Billy Jenkins and Kevin Hathcock was invaluable. The year I competed in Miss Homewood, there were 32 contestants-- including everyone from the top ten and top five at the Miss Alabama Pageant just a month before. I knew that if I won that title, I would have a good shot at winning Miss Alabama the following June.
Tell us about your platform "First Vote: America's Freedom to Choose".
In college at Auburn University, I majored in history and political science. Still, when I tried to discuss anything dealing with the political process with my peers, they were at a loss. I discovered that there is an overwhelming lack of participation among 18-25 year old voters, and set out to try and make a difference. My research on the issue led me to the Close Up Foundation, the largest non-profit, non-partisan civic education organization in the United States. Close Up’s “First Vote” program makes sense – it gives high school students, seniors in particular, the basic background information they need to become registered, informed voters. Targeting students before they left for college, and educating them about the importance of participation in our democracy, was the most efficient way to make sure that we have an educated electorate. Through First Vote, I helped Alabama’s Secretary of State develop a Help America Vote Act plan, which provided over 18 million dollars in federal funding to the State of Alabama to improve our electoral process. I visited tons of schools and spoke to thousands of students about voting, and registered as many as possible. I was thrilled to see the attention paid to younger voters in the 2004 election, and particularly in the 2008 election. There’s still a long way to go, but we have made progress in the past 8 years.
What was going through your head when you were called into the top 15 at Miss America?
I was excited, honored, and ready to compete! I felt like my interview at Miss America could not have gone better, and had positioned myself to take First Vote to the next level. In other words, I wanted more than anything to be Miss America and had worked as hard as I could to make that dream possible. I was also thrilled that my dear friends Miss Maryland, Marina Harrison, Miss Michigan, Madonna Emond, and Miss Georgia, Andrea Bailey, had made the Top 15 with me! Although God did not plan for me to win Miss America that night, I was proud to represent Alabama and humbled that the judges panel allowed me to make the first cut in a group of such amazing young women.
What emotions were you going through when you crowned your successor?
Miss Alabama is definitely a job, and requires a lot of time and travel. I made well over 150 appearances that year to every corner of the State, parts of the Southeast, and even the U.S. Virgin Islands! Although I was sad to close the door on an incredible experience, I was excited to learn who would join me as a “sister” in the club of former Miss Alabamas and ready to start the next chapter of my life. I was also very mindful of the fact that the title of Miss Alabama had made my dream of going to law school possible, and that my tuition would be paid for through the scholarship money I earned as Miss Alabama and at Miss America.
What would be your most memorable moment as Miss Alabama?
On my very first day as Miss Alabama, I received a call around 10 AM from the Secretary of State, requesting my help lobbying for the passage of the Help America Vote Act Bill I had worked on. A few short hours later, I addressed the entire Alabama State Legislature regarding the importance of the bill. It was a fabulous start to a very exciting year! A close second would be shooting the television showWhile You Were Out, which was a ton of fun and was good exposure for our program.
What have you been up to since your reign as Miss Alabama ended?
Two months after crowning my successor, I began law school at the University of Alabama School of Law. I graduated cum laude in May of 2007, and began work in business litigation at Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, P.C. in Birmingham that August. My husband Frank, whom I met in law school, and I have two adorable sons, Franklin, who is two and a half, and Crosby, who is nine months old. We spend lots of time playing with trains and cars right now! I have remained involved in the Miss Alabama Program as a local preliminary judge and also help to coordinate the Pageant’s Annual Awards Luncheon every year, where the contestants receive community service awards and hear from many former Miss Alabamas about their experience in the system. I still use the skills I learned competing in this program every day: first impressions count; be an expert on your chosen topic; hard work reaps just rewards; experience speaking publicly will serve you well; and have a servant’s heart.