Miss Maryland USA 2O11 - Allyn Rose
TIB Who is Allyn Rose? Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Allyn I’d have to say I am a little all over the place! I’m a 22-year-old graduate of the University of Maryland. While I was there, I studied Philosophy, Art History and Government & Politics. I grew up playing sports and participated in everything from artistic roller skating, to tennis, soccer, volleyball and track & field. I was raised in a 200-year-old Colonial home in rural southern Maryland that I helped my parents renovate from the ground up. Not only can I strut my stuff in a bikini with the best of em’, I can patch your roof too! I’ve been on a reality TV show, played guitar in a punk rock band, worked on Capitol Hill and now have the pleasure of representing Maryland at Miss USA! My life has been an incredible journey and it’s not over yet!
TIB Tell us something that will make us remember you.
Allyn I have two brothers, one younger, one older. When my younger brother and I left for college, we wanted a way for the three of us to be able to stay in contact, so we invented the “OMRAC.” The OMRAC stands for “Official Monthly Rose (family) Art Competition.” Once a month we get together and spend the day as a family. We begin with an art competition. Each month, there is a different theme, it ranges from pastel drawings to sculptures, textiles, oil paintings, creative writing, etc. We vote on who is the winner and who is the loser. The winner gets to pick what fun we do that day and what the theme of the art competition will be next month. The loser, unfortunately, has to wear a t-shirt with a picture of a sloth on the front - the back of the shirt says “Maybe next month I won’t be like this sloth and I will use my God-given talents in the OMRAC.” We’re a crazy bunch.
TIB Can you tell us 3 things that you think are sooo typical Maryland?
1. Picking Crabs – Most people have tried eating crab at least once in their lives, but in Maryland, we take it to a whole other level. We cook our own crabs, have our own special seasoning founded in Maryland (Old Bay Seasoning), and we “pick” them. “Picking” crabs consists of taking a full crab, breaking it open, clearing the insides and picking the meat out. We do the work from start to finish!
2. Ford Mustangs – I can guarantee you that about 25% of our population has owned a Ford Mustang at least once in their lives. I don’t know what the fascination is with the car, but it is a Maryland cultural icon. Now that I think about it, I could use a nice red, Mustang convertible these days.
3. Colonial Architecture – Maryland was one of the original 13 colonies and its cultural history is rich and deep. Because we were one of the first states to be founded, we have many beautiful, historic homes. My house is actually on the National Historic Registry!
TIB How will pageant competitions help you develop as a person?
Allyn Pageants are a journey in self exploration. You are forced to know what you feel and why you feel it and then be able to relay that message in a very concise manner. You have the opportunity to travel, learn new things and grow as an individual. You are able to share that journey with others and it is truly a blessing. I constantly remind myself that this is not something that I have “earned,” but rather something that I have been “given” and I appreciate it more and more each day.
TIB What do you think is the difference between the Miss America pageant and the Miss USA pageant?
Allyn The differences between the two pageants come down to some technicalities and a few broad, overall “styling” differences. 1. Scoring: Miss USA has 4 categories, Personality Interview, Swimsuit, Evening Gown and On-stage Question (which isn’t “technically” scored, but counts in overall impression) Miss America, on the other hand, has 5 categories, Interview, Swimsuit, Evening Gown, OSQ and TALENT, which is were the differences really are seen – the Miss USA pageant does not have a talent portion, but in the Miss America pageant, it is a large category, which counts for 35% of your overall score! 2. Supplemental Competitions – Miss USA goes on to Miss Universe, Miss America ends at Miss America. 3. Scholarship, Miss America is a non-profit organization that offers scholarships to the winners and is supported by volunteers, Miss USA is not. 3. Ownership: You can’t beat having Donald Trump as your boss! 4. Overall style – Miss America tends to be more “traditional” in appearance and Miss USA has a more modern, sexy look!
TIB If someone ask you: „Can I borrow 20 bucks?“ Your answer?
Allyn I’m sorry, I don‘t have 20 deer to lend you.
TIB Which word do you not like to hear at all? Why?
Allyn I’m not really one of those people who don’t like to hear certain words, but there are certain phrases that I don’t like at all, such as: “And the first runner up is…Allyn Rose.”
TIB Do you find it easy or difficult to say „No“?
Allyn I used to be terrible at it. I’ve really tried to work on being able to say “no” recently. I’ve always wanted to go above and beyond in anything that I do, but I’ve realized that sometimes you have to take some ‘me’ time and decompress a little and that means learning to say ‘no.’
TIB If I came to your home and looked in fridge, what would I find?
Allyn A disaster. I live with three boys; I like to call it my “frat house.” Despite my best efforts to clean and organize, there aren’t enough hours in the day to keep up with them. It would most likely be stocked with 27 different styles of barbeque sauce, pizza, sodas, energy drinks, Chinese leftovers and my lone allotted corner of veggies, yogurt, and bottled water.
TIB If I gave you an elephant where would you hide it?.
Allyn I think if someone gave me an elephant, I couldn’t hide it; I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from taking it everywhere I went and reveling in the irony of the “elephant in the room.”
TIB Before you meet your prince charming, you have to kiss a lot of frogs. Your comments?
Allyn I disagree. I like to think that every man is a “Prince Charming,” you just have to bring those qualities out in him. I’ve found that if you respect yourself and you are able to relay a sense of self confidence to others, they will return it. I think it’s silly that people are often able to easily “do right by others,” but fail to “do right by themselves.” I like to think of it as living by the backwards Golden Rule “Do unto yourself as you would do unto others.” If you live by that mantra, you will find yourself running into quite a few more princes!
TIB What special message do you have for your fans, and to all people around the world?
Allyn First and foremost, thank you for all of your support – I would not be where I am without the love and guidance of my fans. Secondly, I’m going to make you proud. My journey hasn’t been an easy one, but I feel so incredibly blessed that Providence has afforded me the opportunity to become Miss Maryland USA and to have the chance to represent the country that I love as Miss USA. I have poured my heart and soul into becoming the best possible “Allyn” that I can be, and regardless of the outcome, I will have no regrets. That’s the outlook that I have always tried to take – all you can control is your performance, and I intend to compete my heart out for you and bring the crown home!