Miss Oklahoma 2004

Lauren Nelson

Lauren Nelson, Miss Oklahoma 2006, is a sophomore Music Theatre Major at the University of Central Oklahoma. While at UCO, Lauren was chosen as one of two freshmen to perform in the fall production of Pajama Game and was a featured performer in UCO’s production of Hot N’ Cole: A Cole Porter Celebration.

In 2005, Lauren graduated from Macarthur High School in Lawton, Oklahoma. While in high school, she was a member of the National Honor Society and a three-year recipient of the Renaissance Academic Award. She was an active member of Student Council, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and Macarthur Leadership Class. She was a member of the Lawton Student Civic Council in 2003 and a graduate of the Junior Leadership Lawton Class of 2003-2004. She was a 5-year member of the Lawton-Fort Sill Teen Council and chairman of the teen council for the 2004-2005 year.

Lauren began singing and performing as a young girl in church. Along with church choirs, she was very active in school choirs. A member of her high school’s honor choir, Lauren had the opportunity to perform at many venues, including Branson, Missouri and New York City, New York. She was a member of the All-Region Honor Choir for six years and a member of the All-State Women’s Chorus for three years. She has performed numerous roles in musical productions such as Tzeitel in Fiddler on the Roof, Kim MacAfee in Bye, Bye Birdie, and Hope Harcourt in Anything Goes. These experiences sparked her interest in a music theatre career and have given her opportunities to further her performance experience.

Lauren is no stranger to the pageant. She was Miss Teen Oklahoma 2004. As our teen titleholder, she was chosen as one of three teen titleholders to perform at the 2005 Miss America Pageant. She competed in the Miss Oklahoma Pageant as Miss Oklahoma State Fair and took home preliminary swimsuit and talent awards, rookie talent award, and the Rookie of the Year Award. Lauren was also awarded second place in the Kiwanis Club of Tulsa Community Service Project.

With her mother being and educator and having a younger brother and sister, Lauren has always been very involved with children. Seeing the accessibility of the computer and the internet to children sparked her interest in Internet Safety. With one in five children in Oklahoma being approached by online predators, Lauren realized the dangers and opportunities of the internet and has become an advocate for spreading awareness and education of this timely issue. She has partnered with NetSmartz, a non-profit internet organization, to extend her Be NetSmart program across Oklahoma.

Lauren is the daughter of Mark and Sherrell Nelson. She has one sister and one brother: Morgan, 16 and Logan, 15.

Elizabeth Kinney, Miss Oklahoma 2004, is a graduate of Oklahoma State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Communications and a minor in Agricultural Economics. While at OSU, Elizabeth was a member of Student Alumni Board and President’s Posse, serving as an official spokesperson for President Schmidley and as an alumni liaison and university recruiter. Elizabeth graduated Summa Cum Laude. She was named an Outstanding Senior for the university and a Top 10 Senior in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. She was on the President’s Honor Roll and a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, President’s Leadership Council and Blue Key National Honor Fraternity.

During college, Elizabeth was an active member of Chi Omega sorority, serving on the executive team as new member trainer in 2002. She was active with the School of Journalism and Broadcasting, winning three Oklahoma Broadcast Education Association awards. Elizabeth interned with KWTV News 9 in Oklahoma City, working as an associate producer and reporting intern. She started her broadcast work at SUNUP, an agricultural news program on Oklahoma’s public television affiliate, where she was a producer, reporter, and substitute anchor. Elizabeth also interned with the Ladies Professional Golf Association in Daytona Beach, Florida and worked as a National Leadership Conference trainer for the National FFA Organization, speaking to students in five states.

In 2000, Elizabeth graduated from Mooreland High School in northwest Oklahoma with 26 students in her graduating class. She began studying tap, jazz, and ballet at three-years-old and performed regularly with Oklahoma Kids. In high school, she was active in cheerleading, 4-H, FCCLA, National Honor Society, and FFA. Elizabeth served as the State FFA Reporter in 2000-01 and represented Oklahoma at the National FFA Extemporaneous public speaking finals.

Through FFA Elizabeth developed a passion for public speaking that spurred her interest in pageants. This was her fourth attempt to become Miss Oklahoma. Elizabeth first entered the program in 2000 during her senior year of high school as Miss Northwest Passage. She returned in 2002 as Miss Collinsville, placing 4^th runner-up. In 2003 as Miss Northwest Passage, she was named a top-ten-finalist and preliminary interview winner. In 2004, Elizabeth won the title, competing as Miss Oklahoma State Fair, and took home preliminary swimsuit and talent awards.

Because of Elizabeth’s agricultural background and passion for education and nutrition, she began working with the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma and developed a program, “Hunger U.S.A.” She has worked with the Regional Food Bank’s Food 4 Kids Program, Balloon Fest and Derby Duck Dash, and Dine Out Help Out programs. She volunteered at a Kids Café afterschool mentoring and nutrition program, and she coordinated T.E.E.N. “Teaching Everyone to Eat Nutritiously” afterschool program in Stillwater. Elizabeth has delivered Meals on Wheels, served annually at her community Christmas dinner and coordinated community food drives.

In 2003, Elizabeth represented Oklahoma at the National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference in Washington, D.C. While there, she lobbied members of Congress for Child Nutrition Reauthorization Funding, a role she continues today. Elizabeth has used her broadcast experience to promote Hunger U.S.A. She produced a six-part series on biotechnology and produced a documentary, “Oklahoma’s Hidden Face of Hunger.”

During her year as Miss Oklahoma, Elizabeth hopes to produce a statewide media campaign addressing hunger. She will work with the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma to establish a public policy department. As she speaks throughout the state, she will share a message of developing proper nutrition, reaching personal excellence and overcoming obstacles.

Elizabeth is the 22-year-old daughter of John and Melinda Kinney. She has one sister, Jennica, who is 17.