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A class act from ConnecticutAmy Vanderoef can still barely believe she's in the Miss USA Pageant. "I think I'm the oldest contestant," says the 26-year-old actress, "and I've never done this kind of thing before. I got into it on a total whim." |  |
| She certainly looks the part. In fact, she could play any part that calls for a gorgeous woman. Ms. Vanderoef seems a natural for Hollywood, but prefers to work on the East Coast, where her roots are. |
 | Speaking of roots, we were not surprised to learn that she is originally from New York state. The Dutch name "Vanderoef" suggests she's descended from the old New York aristocracy, and may even be related to the Vanderbilts, the Van Burens and the Rockefellers. Isn't that rich? Ms. Vanderoef says she wouldn't disavow any well-heeled relatives, but doesn't know of any. And she gently reminds us that Connecticut is home. That's where she has lived since she was in junior high. |
| Do you think being a beautiful actress is all sweetness and light? You're right, says Ms. Vanderoef, and that's just the problem. She would love to play someone really mean, like a conniving woman in a soap opera, but those are not the kinds of roles she is offered. "I'm trapped in an ingenue's body," she laments prettily. Well, there are worse prisons. Miss Connecticut USA photos courtesy of Miss Universe L.P., LLLP |
More than just luckyThings could have turned out very differently for Monica Palumbo. In 1996, she was in a crowded Atlanta park "when the bomb went off." Terrorism had struck at the Olympics, killing a woman and injuring dozens of people. If Ms. Palumbo had not happened to change her mind at the last minute, she would have been standing in the spot that took the full force of the blast. It was a very close call. |  |
| But Ms. Palumbo is not a girl who relies on luck or fate. Her philosophy of pageant success is to be "100 percent determined." She started by winning North Carolina's Homecoming Queen, finishing fourth nationally, and she captured the Miss North Carolina USA crown while still in her teens. (She turned 20 in Gary.) |
 | She aims to become a singer or actress, and "I'm looking at modeling." She's majoring in musical theater at East Carolina University, and her specialty is opera. There are three things that Ms. Palumbo finds attractive about opera. First, "it protects the voice" (something we would never have guessed). Second, it puts her in touch with her roots, because so many classics of the genre are in Italian. Third, it's dramatically demanding. When you sing opera, "you have to become" the character you are portraying, and that goes far beyond mere vocal ability. |
| Somehow it's not surprising that her favorite female singers, Whitney Houston and Faith Hill, are not into opera at all. But they are beautiful, bright, sexy and spunky. And that sounds a lot like a certain North Carolinian we know. Miss North Carolina USA photos courtesy of Miss Universe L.P., LLLP |
Fair lady from FairbanksIvette Fernandez is the daughter of immigrants, people with the genuine pioneer spirit. They not only chose a whole new country, they chose a completely different climate. They moved from sunny Mexico to chilly Alaska. Ms. Fernandez says some people have the wrong idea about her state. It's vast, "bigger than Texas, California and Nevada together," but it has relatively few people, so everywhere you go there's a sense of community. Even the city of Fairbanks is like a "small town" compared to the urban sprawl in the lower 48 states. |  |
| She gets a lot of opportunities to tell other Americans about Alaska. She works in the U.S. Capitol, as an aide to one of her state's senators. It's a hectic job. The first time PNB talked to her by phone, she was interrupted by a herd of lobbyists, and they can be worse than a herd of caribou. |
 | Eventually, Ms. Fernandez wants to try the non-political side of government. She plans to attend law school and become a foreign service officer. She's already a world traveler and a talented linguist, and if it were up to us (which it isn't), she would be an ambassador already. She tried modeling in high school, and "it turned me off." Pageants have have been more fun. But she's new to the game, and she knows she has a lot to learn. "I may feel a little bit of culture shock" at Miss USA, she says. If anyone can handle that feeling, it's Ivette Fernandez. |
Miss Alaska USA photos courtesy of Miss Universe L.P., LLLP |
The case of the gorgeous gumshoeWhen awful things happen, Karen Long wants to know about them. And the more awful they are, the more she wants to know. She's learning to solve murders through scientific methods. This 20-year-old West Virginian wants to be an FBI agent. More specifically, she wants to be a profiler, examining victims' bodies and analyzing the minds of criminals. |  |
| Profiling is a profession that has been highly glamorized in popular fiction. The profilers on television even have psychic powers! But Ms. Long says real life is different. The job is a lot of work, and it's a serious responsibility. "It's another way of helping people through the medical field." |
 | There's one thing that Ms. Long does have in common with TV profilers. She's a knockout. Though she didn't get into competition until 1998, she is no stranger to the pageant world. Her cousin Paula Jones is a former Miss West Virginia USA, and her best friend, Amanda Burns, has represented the Mountain State at Miss Teen USA and Miss USA. "Amanda got me into this," Ms. Long says. Remember, folks, if you commit a crime, Karen Long will be after you. But that's still no excuse for committing a crime. |
Miss West Virginia USA photos courtesy of Miss Universe L.P., LLLP |
The only model in her townMichelle Guthmiller's life changed a couple of years ago when a stranger commented on her beauty. "She was scouting for models," Ms. Guthmiller recalls. That's how a girl from a tiny town in North Dakota got into the glamour business. And modeling eventually led her into pageants. |  |
| At first, Ms. Guthmiller was nervous about pageant competition, because she thought she might have to perform. "I can't sing or dance," she says. "At least I'm not sure if I could." But when she learned that she could become a beauty queen just by being herself, there was no stopping her. She captured the state crown on her first try. Miss USA, on national television, is only the second pageant of her life. |
 | At home, away from the runway and the stage, Ms. Guthmiller leads an unpretentious life. She's attending college, majoring in business. And she enjoys going to the movies, watching the stars she might just meet someday. Robin Williams is a particular favorite. She also occasionally scouts for models, looking to give some other North Dakota girl a big break. And if the girl can't sing or dance, so what?
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Miss North Dakota USA photos courtesy of Miss Universe L.P., LLLP |
More Miss USA 2001 ...Page 1 |
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