Gateway

Issue date: 9/11/07 Section: Features

Ashley Bauer, a UNO bioinformatics senior, is Miss Nebraska. The North Platte, Neb., native will compete in the Miss America Pageant, to be aired on Jan. 26. [Click to enlarge]

It was a warm Saturday evening in North Platte, Neb., and Ashley Bauer was stirring with emotions.
Every practice, every rehearsal and every moment - from singing to the radio with her father in the car before she could talk, to spending endless hours of singing lessons and performances - led her up to the final moment that she'd been waiting for.
The host began counting down from the top five, passing through each number as Bauer mentally prepared herself for the final call.
Only her and her competitor were left. At that moment, all eyes rested on them. The only thought that crossed her mind during the few minutes that seemed like a lifetime was that it was the moment of truth.
But before the next Miss Nebraska was announced, a feeling of calmness rested her nerves.
"The rest was a blur," said Bauer, a senior at UNO. "I just remember him calling my name and being so overcome by emotion, and then seeing my family. They were as excited as I was, and it was a victory for them as well because they have supported me and attended all of my pageants and events for the past four years. It was a night I will never forget."
Bauer grew up on a farm in Scottsbluff, Neb. She began taking singing lessons as a child while performing in church when she was 3 years old. She performed in every school production from the time she was in kindergarten.
"I was a normal kid. I had friends and was really involved in the community and in school," Bauer said. "Now, people who have known me my whole life are so excited for me and have been a huge support."
Receiving cards and well wishes from those who have been following her since her high school graduation is a blessing for Bauer. When her friend, a former Miss Nebraska competitor, encouraged her to compete, she knew it was her calling.
"I have been across the state already," Bauer said. "Everywhere from Chadron, Alliance and Scottsbluff, to Omaha, Lincoln, Columbus and all kinds of places in between."

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