The aspiring dentist has been participating in pageants for most of her life.
Credit: Getty
When Miss Massachusetts Lauren Kuhn takes the stage at the Miss America pageant tonight, it will be the culmination of years of life on the pageant circuit.But Kuhn’s resume is not that of a stereotypical beauty queen. We’ve compiled 5 interesting facts about the current Miss Massachusetts.
She’s a student at Harvard’s Dental School.
After majoring in biology as an undergrad, Kuhn headed to theHarvard School of Dental Medicine, where she is currently in her second year of studies. She has said repeatedly in interviews that she is passionate about bringing high quality dental care to underserved communities.
Earlier this year, Kuhn told Beauty Pageant News that she secretly wishes to become either a ballerina or the dean of a dental school.
She’s competed in pageants against her little sister.
When she was a 15-year-old high school student, Kuhn decided to the Miss Grays Harbor pageant in her home state of Washington. Her sister Paige soon followed suit. Lauren, an accomplished pianist, is planning to play during the talent portion tonight.
She says she entered the Miss America pageant for the scholarship money.
Kuhn credits both the Miss America Organization and Gonzaga University for helping her build up her interviewing skills. She has said that she is particularly thankful for the$18,000 of scholarship money she has won through her time in pageants.
She has traveled all over the world.
As an undergrad at Gonzaga University, Kuhn participated in study abroad programs that took her to both Turkey and Zambia. “My experiences on these excursions changed my perspective on the needs of the world and humanity in general,” she wrote on a profile on the university’s website.
She was once lunged at by a cheetah.
Her aforementioned trip to Zambia was an eventful one. She says she was taking photos during a sightseeing trip when a cheetah lunged at her, leaving a scar on her thigh. (Fortunately for all involved, someone in her group managed to scare the big cat off.)
Follow Lakshmi Gandhi on Twitter @LakshmiGandhi.
