By DEBORAH GERTZ HUSAR
Herald-Whig Staff Writer
Lindsey Hess takes a step this weekend toward making a childhood dream come true.
The 22-year-old from Clayton begins competing Friday for the title of Miss Illinois USA 2009. The pageant winner will represent the state in the 2009 Miss USA Pageant.
"I've wanted to be Miss USA since I was a little girl," Hess said. "It's something I dreamed about for a long time."
After a lifetime of dreams and diligent prep work the past nine months, Hess said she's ready for the competition, which brings about 100 contestants to the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place in Chicago.
"It's just preparing yourself inside and out," Hess said. "You have to start within yourself and really evaluate where you are in life, what your goals are and get to know yourself. You have to be confident in where you are. On the outside, it's getting physically fit and competent to walk onstage in a swimsuit and 4-inch heels."
Friday's schedule calls for a panel-style interview with pageant judges. Contestants compete in swimsuit and evening gown segments Saturday. The judges narrow the field to 15 semifinalists Sunday, then pick the top five who answer a question onstage before the winner is crowned.
The Miss Illinois USA pageant is the official preliminary to the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants. It is a Donald J. Trump and NBC Universal joint venture.
Trump "is at the top of my list of people to meet in my lifetime," Hess said. "If I go to Miss USA, I will get a chance to meet him."
Pageant competition is nothing new for Hess, the former Miss Quincy 2006 and Miss Adams County Fair 2004.
"Those titles gave me the greatest opportunity to learn life skills, meet people and grow professionally," she said. "Now it's trying to take another step up, go bigger and see what I can do."
Hess, daughter of Steve and Marcy Hess, recently graduated from Illinois College with a degree in communication and rhetorical studies and expects to finish an elementary education degree in May. She serves as director of the Miss Quincy Outstanding Teen and Preteen Pageant and appearance coordinator for all the girls, and she works as a marketing intern with Big Brothers Big Sisters.
"If I win, one of my goals is to promote the Big Brother Big Sister organization. I've been a big sister for the past three years," she said. "I'm really passionate about it."
Her pageant sponsors are Shottenkirk Toyota Chrysler Dodge, Noxin Trucking, the Abbey, Rich Mealiff with Country Insurance, Perry Feed and Fertilizer Inc., Mr. Deals Auto Center, Selby Implement Co. and Frank Furtado Makeover Studio.
-- dhusar@whig.com/221-3379
