Rachel Smith facts for kids
Rachel Renee Smith (born April 18, 1985) is an American actress, TV host, and model. She is best known for winning the Miss USA 2007 beauty pageant. Before that, she competed in the Miss Teen USA 2002 pageant. Rachel also represented the United States at Miss Universe 2007, where she finished as the 4th Runner-Up.
Quick facts for kids
Rachel Smith
|
|
|---|---|
Rachel Smith at Miss USA 2007
|
|
| Born |
Rachel Renee Smith
April 18, 1985 |
| Alma mater | Belmont University, (BS) |
| Height | 180 cm (5 ft 11 in) |
| Title | Miss Tennessee Teen USA 2002 Miss Tennessee USA 2007 Miss USA 2007 |
| Beauty pageant titleholder | |
| Agency | Greenwood Productions (State Titles) Miss Universe Organization (National Title) |
| Hair color | Brown |
| Eye color | Black |
| Major competition(s) |
Miss Tennessee Teen USA 2002 (Winner) Miss Teen USA 2002 (Top 10) Miss Tennessee USA 2007 (Winner) Miss USA 2007 (Winner) Miss Universe 2007 (4th Runner-Up) |
Contents
Early Life and Education
Rachel Smith was born on April 18, 1985, on a U.S. Army base in Panama. Her family later moved to Clarksville, Tennessee, after her parents were stationed at Fort Campbell. She attended Clarksville Academy and then graduated from Davidson Academy for high school.
In 2006, Rachel graduated with honors from Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. She earned a degree in journalism. Rachel finished her studies early, in December 2006. She received a full scholarship to Belmont because of her community service and excellent grades in high school.
While at Belmont, she worked as an intern for eight months at Harpo Productions, a company owned by Oprah Winfrey. In 2007, Oprah Winfrey chose Rachel to volunteer for one month at her Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa.
Journey in Pageants
Rachel Smith has competed in several beauty pageants, starting at a young age.
Cinderella Scholarship Program
In 1993, when Rachel was young, she took part in the Cinderella International Pageant. She represented Tennessee in the Miniature Miss Division and was crowned the 1993 International Miniature Miss.
Miss Tennessee Teen USA 2002
Rachel won her first big pageant title in 2001, becoming Miss Tennessee Teen USA 2002. This was her second try for the title. She then competed in the national Miss Teen USA 2002 pageant in Texas. There, she made it into the top ten and also won the Miss Photogenic award.
Miss Tennessee USA 2007
On October 7, 2006, Rachel won the Miss Tennessee USA title. She was the fourth person who had been Miss Tennessee Teen USA to also win the Miss Tennessee USA crown. She won the title in her hometown of Clarksville.
Miss USA 2007 Victory
Rachel represented Tennessee in the Miss USA 2007 pageant on March 23, 2007, in Los Angeles. She became the second person from Tennessee to win the Miss USA crown. Rachel performed very well in both the swimsuit and evening gown parts of the competition. She was crowned by the previous winner, Tara Conner.
Miss Universe 2007 Experience
As Miss USA, Rachel represented the United States in the Miss Universe 2007 pageant. This event took place in Mexico City, Mexico, on May 28, 2007. She arrived in Mexico on May 1 and spent weeks preparing with 77 other contestants.
During the national costume competition, Rachel dressed as Elvis Presley, honoring her home state of Tennessee. She made it into the top 15 in the finals. During the evening gown competition, Rachel slipped and fell but quickly got back up. She kept her composure and still made it into the top 5.
Rachel finished as the fourth runner-up in the Miss Universe 2007 pageant.
Life as Miss USA
During her time as Miss USA, Rachel Smith made many public appearances. She was a guest on TV shows like The Today Show and Late Show with David Letterman. She also appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show to talk about her internship experience.
Rachel had the chance to ring the opening bell at the American Stock Exchange twice. She did this first on April 24, and again on June 7 with Miss Universe Riyo Mori.
In June, Rachel traveled to Kenya to volunteer for Project Sunshine. She also attended an event at the White House celebrating Black Music Month, where she introduced President George W. Bush. In December 2007, she went on a USO tour to Kuwait, Iraq, and Spain to visit and entertain U.S. troops.
On April 11, 2008, Rachel crowned Crystle Stewart as Miss USA 2008. This was a special moment because it was the first time two African American women had won the Miss USA title in a row.
Television Career
Rachel Smith has had a successful career in television.
Reality TV and Game Shows
She starred in Donald Trump's MTV reality show Pageant Place. This show followed the lives of beauty queens like Riyo Mori (Miss Universe 2007) and Tara Conner (former Miss USA 2006). The show first aired on October 10, 2007.
In August 2010, Rachel appeared on NBC's Minute to Win It. This episode featured 10 beauty pageant winners competing for money for their chosen charities.
Reporting and Hosting
Rachel has worked as a reporter for E! and co-hosted ABC's entertainment show OnTheRedCarpet. She was also the "pop news" correspondent on the Saturday broadcast of Good Morning America. Currently, she is a co-host for Amazon's Style Code.
Rachel joined ET as a New York-based correspondent. She has interviewed many famous people, including Rihanna, Ryan Seacrest, and Katy Perry. She also co-hosts New Year's Eve Live: Nashville's Big Bash on CBS with Bobby Bones.
Images for kids
-
Rachel Smith at Miss USA 2007
-
Rachel Smith at Los Angeles Pride 2011
-
Rachel Smith with President George W. Bush
-
Rachel Smith on a USO tour
-
Rachel Smith and Hilary Cruz signing autographs
See also
In Spanish: Rachel Smith para niños
