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Miss Mississippi State University
What makes you special and unique? What is the best advice you have ever received? Name one thing you cannot live without. What is the most valuable lesson you ever learned? Who is your most valued role model and why? What was your most unexpected moment? What is your workout routine? What has been your biggest accomplishment to date? What is the best compliment you have ever recieved? What is your secret wish? What was your most embarrassing moment? What is your biggest guilty pleasure? What is your favorite movie and why? What do you like to do for fun... relaxation... recreation? What would be your dream vacation or destination? What do you like best about the state of Mississippi? Where do you see yourself in ten years? Who am I? Tell us about your platform. What are your Hobbies? Dance, Gymnastics, Soccer, Running, Reading, Scrap booking, Shopping with my mom, traveling to Southeastern Conference campuses, and of course, spending time with friends and family. Back to Top What makes you special and unique? My parents adopted me as an infant, which instilled in me deep understanding that adoption is one of the most unselfish gifts to a child. I take nothing for granted and live everyday to its fullest because without my parents, my life could be completely different. Back to Top What is the best advice you have ever received? I remember sitting on my Grandpa’s lap when I was a little girl and hearing him tell me, "Dani, smile from your heart and let your natural beauty shine through." Back to Top Name one thing you cannot live without. I cannot live without dancing! I dance for cardio exercise, as a personal release and expression, to build relationships and to expand my platform, Hope for Adoption. Because I was blessed with the gift of dance, I truly feel dancing is my gateway to a life of open doors and endless possibilities to inspire others. Back to Top What's the most valuable lesson you've ever learned? Commitment to whatever I am involved in is the key to victory. From dance, soccer, pageants, and school, I have committed myself to developing the fundamentals for success. Back to Top Who is your most valued role model and why? My most valued role model is my father, C.D. Smith, because he is a man who is very committed to the things he does throughout his community and with his family. I look up to, depend on and have learned from him the value of commitment. Back to Top What was your most unexpected moment? I had a surprise Good Luck party thrown for me before the Miss MSU competition. My fellow pom squad members did such a good job keeping it from me that the surprise brought tears to my eyes. It was truly unexpected. Back to Top What is your workout routine? Being focused and driven, I always do cardio and core exercise. I do strength training focusing on a different part of my body each session, always listening to Fergie. I leave the gym sweating, not one hair in place, and feeling good about finishing a workout. Back to Top What has been your biggest accomplishment to date? Playing a collegiate sport is not only an accomplishment but also an honor. I went from being a soccer team walk-on as an incoming freshman to becoming a starter receiving scholarship. It was an exceptional accomplishment in itself to be representing Mississippi State as a student athlete. Back to Top What is the best compliment you have ever recieved? One day working within my platform, I had a dance student say to me, "I want to be like you one day; I want to be a great dancer like you, Miss Danielle." Back to Top What is your secret wish? Although I am proud of and work hard at my athletic strength and physique, I will never be a runway or clothing model; so my secret wish is to be a model for women’s UnderArmour, a company that supports a healthy and active lifestyle. Back to Top What was your most embarrassing moment? Have you ever caught yourself dancing goofy? What about in front of 10,000 fans? As a member of the MSU Pom Squad, I am usually never embarrassed to be dancing in front of a crowd; however, my most embarrassing moment was when I was caught on camera, in front of the entire football stadium of fans, breaking loose dancing goofy. Later, I was asked by more than one person to teach them my "cool moves"! Back to Top What is your biggest guilty pleasure? Going shopping at Harry Meyer's, a specialty store in Meridian and charging it to the family account is always my guilty pleasure. Back to Top What is your favorite movie and why? Steel Magnolias is my all time favorite movie. I have always enjoyed and somewhat related to the personality of Shelby, played by Julia Roberts. I also love the character, Weezer, who keeps me laughing throughout the movie. Back to Top What do you like to do for fun... relaxation... recreation? Spending time with friends is always fun, but spending time with my guy friends is always entertaining. Whether it is them beating me in a game on Xbox 360 or riding dirt roads in the country, there is never a dull moment with those guys Relaxing is really simple for me because I crawl into my big recliner with a blanket and I am set. My new recreation sport is ultimate Frisbee; I love to play on a beautiful day not to forget I could consider it light cardio. Back to Top What would be your dream vacation or destination? I would like to travel the state of California. I have never been and would love to have an experience of shopping on Rodeo Drive, try to spot famous celebrities, visit a vineyard in the Napa valley, and cross the Golden Gate Bridge. Back to Top What do you like best about the state of Mississippi? Our "soul food" is representative of all the different types of families and cultures that make our state great. Back to Top Where do you see yourself in ten years? I live my life taking it day by day, but taking a look in the future is very interesting. In ten years, I see myself being a proud graduate of Mississippi State University pursing a career in Sports Medicine as an athletic trainer. Choreographing and being involved in the Miss America Organization, as emcee and judge, would keep me busy but wouldn’t keep my away from my new love, hopefully a husband. Back to Top Who am I? I view myself as a traveler on a journey through life that is filled with surprises and great expectations. So far, my personal life’s journey has taught me to be independent, hopeful, and to make my parents proud. I am self-motivated, determined to succeed at all things, and am completely competitive with myself. I also recognize the human side of me and know my own limitations. I am terrified of spiders and avoid any place that one might be lurking. I love to shop, but do not like chocolate. I am passionate about my friendships and know I must schedule time to be with my friends, who bring out the adventurous side of me. I like to be in control of my surroundings, but am flexible enough to recognize when I am hurt, scared, or homesick. And I rely on my parents to help me get my footing back when I fall. I consider my dad to be my knight in shining armor and my mom is my best friend and backbone of our family. Setting priorities is of the utmost importance to me, and although I sometimes push myself too hard in many areas, I enjoy time to myself to think, rest, and just be me.
Most of all at the end of my journey, I see myself as an accomplished young woman who worked hard to dream, achieve, and experience all that life has to offer.
Tell us about your platform. As Miss MSU, I wanted to create an educational opportunity that relates to my background in dance and gives back to others. With Hope for Adoption as my platform, I began Hip Hop for Hope, which is an independent fundraiser for the Bethany Christian Service, a non-profit adoption agency. Hip Hop for Hope is a hip hop dance workshop that I put on asking for donations from the dance students. In these workshops I share with them my gift of dancing and how together we can offer hope to others. I take the monetary income from my independent workshops and then donate that to the agency to support others.
Through my program, I am able to teach others to dance, and share my happiness with them. But more importantly the program also teaches them to discover themselves through dance, and express their own happiness as well. This program gives me the opportunity to educate children and parents about the benefits of adoption and the gifts one gives and receives by adopting a child.
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