By Joy Kraft
The Cincinnati Enquirer

If Candace Smith of Glendale walks away with the Miss USA tiara Monday, Miss Ohio USA will make a strong case for shattering the stereotype of the ditzy beauty contestant.

She's pretty all right, with the pearly-toothed smile and modeling experience that will catch a pageant judge's eye. But she's also a corporate real estate attorney with Thompson Hine LLP, who earned scholarships to the Northwestern University School of Law and the University of Dayton.

Instead of a childhood of primping and junior beauty pageants, Smith, now 26, threw herself into athletics at Chaminade-Julienne High School in Dayton, where she captained the soccer team, played basketball and ran track.

Modeling came later, in college, where she managed to run varsity track as well.

As she was packing for her trip to the competition in San Antonio (9 p.m. Monday, Channels 5, 22), we had a chance to rifle through her suitcase - and her psyche.

Question: Why did you decide to do this?

Answer: It's a great opportunity to cultivate skills and it's a big challenge for me, physically, mentally, spiritually. It's also a good opportunity for me to assist a lot of community service organizations and take on additional causes using my title.

Q: How do you prepare for interviews?

A: I wish I knew what questions they'll ask. It helps to stay abreast of current events. Beyond that, you just have to be yourself and be open and honest.

Q: What will you do the week before the show?

A: I've heard the schedule is excruciating and that you get only about five hours of sleep at night, with breakfast at 6 a.m. There are rehearsals, interviews and swimsuit and evening gown judging and personal appearances. The preliminary judges determine the top 10, and that's who you see in live broadcast.

Q: What's the biggest misconception about the pageant?

A: I do think there is still a stereotype of the pageant contestant that implies exploitation and exhibition of women. I feel that's a misconception. There's a medical student, an architecture graduate, a pharmacist in the competition. I hope that stereotype can soon be eliminated. I'd be a great Miss USA because I could be a strong role model and eliminate it.

Q: What does Miss USA do besides compete for Miss Universe?

A: It's a job you take on for a year, making public appearances, taking on breast and ovarian cancer awareness. That becomes your cause and you are very involved with any group involved with that.

Q: Were you in any child beauty contests?

A: Once I was Miss Snow Bird. I think I was 8. But in high school, I put all my energy into sports. It wasn't until after high school that I started getting into modeling.

Q: Why modeling?

A: It was a great way to make money and continue to focus on my education. And it was fun. Education was stressed to me so much by my mother. I felt a need to pursue a graduate degree of some sort, and that was my focus.

Q: Are you nervous?

A: Unless you know who you are and what you want out of life when you get there, you are going to have a difficult time.

Q: How will you stay grounded?

A: My only goal in competition is to be the best Candace I can be in 15 days and to know when I leave I was a good person and realized my potential and gave it 100 percent.

Q: What are you packing for inspiration?

A: I am taking an aromatherapy candle, pictures of friends, a journal and that's it. I always take time out of the day to reflect, to keep things in perspective. If I were approaching Miss USA as potential source of happiness it would be stressful, but I am looking at it as a experience to broaden my horizons.

E-mail jkraft@enquirer.com