A track and basketball athlete, theater major, frequent churchgoer, residential caregiver and La Plata County Sheriff’s Office deputy will compete in her first pageant at Miss Colorado USA 2022 this summer.
Alayna Latimore, 25, was inspired to participate after learning that last year’s Miss Colorado winner was Maura Spence Carroll, who is an active-duty intelligence analyst in the Army.
“I thought, ‘Wow! What a good opportunity this would be to use the platform for 1) to show the diversity of what African American women can do in their jobs, and 2) to show the human behind the badge,” she said.
Miss Colorado USA contestants choose their local titles upon registering for the pageant. Latimore chose “Miss La Plata County” because she wants to represent the county she serves.
The winner of Miss Colorado USA will compete against other state winners in the finals at Miss USA. The winner of Miss USA moves on to the international Miss Universe competition. This track is different from Miss Colorado and Miss America pageants.
Miss USA is a globally recognized pageant platform that “celebrates the unique beauty of women across cultures.” The organization seeks to “disrupt the stereotypical image of pageants and create a new stage for the world to re-imagine pageantry,” according to its mission statement.
Each Miss Colorado USA contestant fills out an interview bio. That bio asks each contestant to identify a cause or charity important to her. According to Latimore, her job gives her a familiarity with those in need.
“I do anything from helping people figure out what’s the best pest control, to arresting for warrants and other crimes: theft, assault, rape, kidnappings,” she said. “If you need anything, whether it’s help with the substance abuse problems you’re having, or you want to get counseling because you don’t want to continue with domestic violence in your relationship, I’m here to direct you to the right resources. Even if you just need to talk, I’ll talk to you.”
For the charity and cause portion of her bio, Latimore plans to use her experience and consult with her agency to identify and offer solutions for La Plata County’s biggest problem.
Latimore also hopes to use the Miss Colorado USA competition to show the “human behind the badge.”
Right before Latimore graduated from the academy, George Floyd was murdered by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.
“As long as I’ve been a cop, there hasn’t necessarily been the greatest view in the media of law enforcement officers, and it’s not for no reason. I understand, and I don’t vouch for those officers,” she said. “I want to show that there are good officers out there. I want to show people that I’m here to make a change.”
In addition to being a deputy, Latimore works as a residential caregiver for Community Connections in Durango. Community Connections provides services to intellectually and developmentally disabled adults and children.
“Whether it is to read a book by themselves, or find a job that they are going to be able to do efficiently, you’re just there to help them meet their goals, to make sure they are happy at the end of the day,” she said.
Latimore began helping people with intellectual disabilities professionally after she was encouraged by her boyfriend’s mother to do so.
“My boyfriend’s sister is on the spectrum. Their mom is raising her on her own. She also runs her own business, so she needs help. I was just doing it because I like doing it, and she encouraged me to get employed at CCI.”
Along with her busy schedule, Latimore must now begin preparing for Miss Colorado USA. The pageant requires glamorous gowns, makeup and hair, a flattering swimsuit and classy business attire. Because this is Latimore’s first pageant, she must start training for her interview and walk, as well.
The glamour juxtaposes Latimore’s everyday life, where she suits up in her uniform, pulls her hair back, and interacts with people who are often at their worst.
Libby Watkins, assistant director of Future Productions (state franchisee and producer for Miss USA), says women with traditionally male-dominated professions have been expressing their femininity in Miss USA competitions for awhile.
“We believe the organization is simply doing a better job of highlighting the career ambitions and academic achievements of the women who compete, making them well-known and relatable to those who tune in and follow the event,” she said. “For decades, we have had attorneys, doctors, scientists, members of the U.S. military, etc. on the pageant stage.”
Yet, Miss USA and similar pageants are often criticized for being sexist, exploitative and objectifying. Some object to the lack of diverse body types on stage, or the perception that pageantry promotes the idea that a woman’s worth is based on her physical appearance.
Despite this stigma, the Miss USA Organization has been relevant for 70 years.
“The women who compete feel empowered and are proud of the hard work they have done to achieve physical fitness,” Watkins said. “Now, more than ever, it is important for young women and girls to have role models who make their health a priority.”
Latimore says the pageant stigma stems from ignorance.
“Many women that have participated in pageants are leaders of their community as well as participants in male-dominated careers,” she said. “I can say that I was ignorant when I thought pageants were for the fashion-forward females who had a specific look.”
Miss Colorado USA pageant audiences should expect to see contestants of a variety of body types and professions, Watkins said.
“The beauty of pageantry is the judging is subjective. It’s not something that can be measured by how fast you run or how high you jump,” she said. “The judges are looking for that ‘it factor.’ No one can really explain what ‘it’ is, but everyone knows when they see it.”
No one from Southwest Colorado has ever won Miss Colorado USA. The pageant began in 1952. In 2005, Durangoan Paige Williams won Miss Colorado Teen USA.
The pageant is July 1-3 at the Union Colony Civic Center in Greeley. It will consist of three equally scored areas of competition: interview, evening gown and swimwear. There is no talent portion. Contestants will have the opportunity to showcase their talents in their interview, but not all of the women have talents that can be showcased on a stage, Watkins said.
In addition to representing Colorado at Miss USA, the winner of Miss Colorado USA receives a number of prizes, including scholarships.
Latimore hopes to win by bringing her relatability to the competition.
“I want to bring a relatability, not only to people of color who look at me and think, ‘Oh my gosh, she looks like me,’ but to everyone who can relate to me. I’m a Christian, I go to church, I have a dog, I’m a sister, I’m a best friend, I work for CCI, I understand people who are on the spectrum,” she said. “I want to represent everybody that I can.”
Latimore also wants to use the pageant platform to inspire people to work hard and follow their dreams.
“I want to open people’s minds up to be able to feel like they can do anything they want as long as they work hard and stick to it,” she said.
To sponsor Latimore and help with the costs of the pageant, visit https://www.pageantplanet.com/profile/alayna-latimore.
kpercival@durangoherald.com
