Once again, Katelyn Smith is an Empire girl! In 2012, she won her first title and competed at Miss New York as Miss Empire Rose. She returned the following year as Miss Fulton County. This year she will represent the capital region at the state pageant as Miss Empire Capital Region 2014.

Although it may seem as though Katelynn is a natural winner, this might not be the case. She began competing as a way to earn scholarship money for college, and was hooked after her first one. It took her seven pageant competitions before she won her first title in 2012. The pageant bug has bit another victim, and its doubtful she will stop any time soon.

During her year of service, Katelynn is dedicated to promoting a personal platform that no Miss New York or Miss America has ever promoted: suicide prevention and awareness. Unlike some other platforms, her reign could be directly responsible for saving a life. She has participated in Mental Health Matters Day four years now, where she has been able speak with politicians about suicide prevention legislative initiatives. Hopefully, through her participation in the Miss America Organization, Katelynn will be visible within the community as a voice for suicide prevention.

When Katelynn was first crowned Miss Empire Rose, back in 2012, it was the same day that she opened her acceptance letter to the College of St. Rose. This year, she will be graduating just two weeks prior to the Miss New York competition, and hopefully stepping into the public relations field.

 The thought of competing in pageants scared me to death and I never had the confidence that I knew I needed to succeed. Getting myself out there and competing in the Miss America Organizations has given me more confidence than I ever imagined myself having. You can do anything you set your mind to. Competing … has given me the tools that I need to succeed in life.

They say the 3rd time is the charm. With two months until Miss New York, lets see what happens.