ELLY GRIMM

   • Leader & Times

A new head is now officially wearing the Miss Kansas crown with Sophie Lewis.

As Lewis tells it, her pageant career started at a rather young age.

“I started when I was 6, but I always like to preface my career by saying I was not allowed to wear makeup in the beginning of those early pageants because the focus was very much on what was on the inside, not on the outside, and I was able to kind of see a lot of the benefits from that,” Lewis said. “My parents were very supportive, because my early pageant career was all about female empowerment and confidence building. There was always the interview portion, and an on-stage speaking portion, so it was a unique sport, that’s how I like to refer to it. So I started when I was pretty young, and it stuck around ever since. I graduated from the University of Kansas almost a year ago which I'm still getting used to. I have been in the Kansas area for going on five years, and I just moved to the Overland Park area, so that's been really fun. But Lawrence was my home for a good four years, and it's what kept me staying here in Kansas.”

Lewis admitted, however, entering the Miss Kansas pageant was rather a last-minute decision.

“Deciding to go for the Miss Kansas pageant was somewhat last minute. As someone who has competed before, I think a lot of that is kind of resting on your laurels, which is nice, but I wanted to do more,” Lewis said. “I was really drawn to the Miss America opportunity because of everything it stands for, especially since it’s so scholarship-focused. A lot of the prizes have to do with scholarship money, and there was a crazy number of scholarships at the Miss Kansas organization this year, upwards of $50,000, so there were a lot of incredible opportunities there. I was also really drawn to a lot of the sisterhood aspect. Having done so many pageants, I've had my fair share of experiences all throughout the spectrum, and I had heard nothing but amazing things from the Miss Kansas organization.”

Ultimately, Lewis added, the timing was right for her to enter the pageant.

“I'm in a very unique time where the world is kind of my oyster, and I'm very lucky and grateful to have that perspective in life, so to me it just felt like a crazy opportunity,” Lewis said. “If I look back a year from now, I don’t want to regret not having taken these types of chances, no matter how scary they may seem. Even though the talent portion was a little bit scary since I hadn't sang in forever, and even though the interview process was a bit nerve-wracking, I just thought, ‘If I don't do this now, I will definitely look back in a year from now, and, and regret not taking that leap.’ I'm so grateful I did, because it couldn't have ended up better. I knew this was my time to try new things and experiment and give things a go, because you never know what’ll stick.”

Lewis added there were multiple emotions she felt after her name was announced.

“I remember I was really making an effort to stay present, so I was looking around me and looking at the other girls onstage with me since I had become really close with them,” Lewis said. “It was a very mentally exhausting and physically exhausting week, so we were all kind of in a daze and tired, but also relieved since everything was wrapping up. After my name was called, the tears were definitely there as well. It felt like every single happy emotion you could ever think of at once. I don't think there's anything quite like it.”

Lewis then talked about her platform.

“I work in the biomedical sales industry, and we sell a blood test for patients with lung nodules to kind of help determine their risk of cancer. I think it's a very, very prevalent issue, because lung cancer is the deadliest cancer in the world,” Lewis said. “It beats out the next two cancers combined, and it's something that is very stigmatized. I really enjoy being able to go out in communities, especially since Kansas is very heavily affected by lung cancer, and making patients feel like they have the authority to advocate for themselves when they're in those rooms and knowing the newest technologies that are out there, so as Miss Kansas, it's been really fun so far to partner with a lot of physicians in the area and get to really build something great with them so we can help in the fight against lung cancer.”

That interest in STEM, Lewis said, was also inspired at a young age. 

“I have always been a huge proponent for women in STEM. I remember when I was in third grade, I was the only girl in an all male classroom, and when I answered a question incorrectly, a boy told me to go back to the kitchen and make him a sandwich,” Lewis said. “I was really confused about what that meant, and my teacher had to sit me down and explain the nuances of gender discrimination, and that was my first experience with that. It unfortunately continued on throughout college and high school. I've done pageants my whole life, and I'm not one to shy away from putting on a full face of makeup and doing my hair, but I studied biochemistry when I was in college, and it was really hard to find a way to meld those two personas together, because it often felt like I wouldn't be taken seriously. I felt if I leaned into the pageant side of myself, I would lose the STEM stuff, but if I leaned into only the STEM side, I would lose a lot of the pageant side. So it was a shuffle and dance I eventually realized I didn’t have to choose between, and I decided to take that and run with it with my platform to kind of show these young girls we're so much more powerful when we follow our hearts and do what makes us happy. For me, these two things make me really happy, and that's the example that I want to be able to show young girls so they know that path is available to them.”

Overall, Lewis said, she is excited to get to work and travel throughout the state in her new role.

“I'm really grateful and excited, Miss America is the next step, and that's coming up september 6, so that should be really exciting,” Lewis said. “I've been able to meet almost every other state representative so far, so I'm really excited to get out there and compete at Miss America. It's so iconic, and I can't wait to see how all of that goes. I'm just excited and grateful and ready for the year!”