Miss Nevada

Caydi Cole

What is your hometown like?
Many people would never equate Las Vegas with Home Sweet Home, but to me, it has been a big backyard, a world of opportunity and a place where my family has called home for the past 50 years. There is such a huge community outside of the well-known downtown strip that includes one of the largest school districts in the country and more churches per capita than almost any other city in the U.S.

What were you like when you were a child?
I am now and have always been a night owl. My mom used to stay up late to study for her master's degree, and I would be right next to her doing my own reading at 5 years old. "Time for bed, honey," she'd say, as she would drift off, and I'd reply with, "No mommy, you go to bed, and I'll stay up to study for class."

Who is the most influential person in your life?
Even though my mother and I haven't always been best friends, she has been one of the best role models a girl could ask for. By returning to college after taking a few years off to start a family, she showed me the importance of dedication to education by graduating valedictorian of her class, finishing her master's and recently becoming the principal of a local junior high school. My mom has always taught me that beauty is on the inside, she's shown me that you can't take yourself too seriously and she constantly reminds me of the true importance of family values.

What is one thing about you that people you meet may not immediately realize?
I am from an enormous family! Not only do I have eight brothers and sisters, my extended family ranges into the hundreds, and most of them live in or around Las Vegas.

What was one defining moment in your life?
When I was 14 years old, I was presented with an opportunity to sing on stage with Shania Twain in front of a Las Vegas audience of 15,000. That night I was invigorated with a passion for performing, I faced my first fears of public opinion, I learned to take life for every moment it gives us and from this experience, I began to develop into who I am today.

What was one defining moment in your life?
As contestants, we work really hard and prepare all year for the big competition, whether it's a local pageant, a state pageant or we finally make it to Miss America. Somewhere in the process, you start to realize that this preparation (spending hours at the gym every day, working with speech and interview coaches, learning how to present yourself, practicing your talents and doing countless hours of community service and speaking engagements) is actually the best preparation you can get for the real world.

What was one defining moment in your life?
I want to get into the White House as a political activist and advocate for civic education in America's youth. Through MTV's Rock the Vote, I want to be a visible leader in our country's push for voter registration, and a viable authority on world issues.