Special to The Ledger
If you were looking to meet a determined, motivated, sassy young woman with a no-quit attitude and a zeal for life, you would need look no further than the newly crowned Miss Kansas USA 2015, Alexis Railsback. Born in Overland Park, Alexis grew up in Shawnee with her mother, father, twin sister and younger brother.
As the reigning Miss Kansas USA, Railsback is also a freshman at the college and a 2014 graduate of Shawnee Mission Northwest High School.
For as long as she can remember, Railsback has dreamt of representing the state of Kansas at the Miss USA pageant and bringing the crown back home to Kansas. She began her pageant career almost two years ago. In December of 2012, she competed in her first pageant, Miss Kansas Teen USA 2013, placing fourth runner-up. The following year, she placed in the top fifteen at Miss Kansas Teen USA 2014. Having aged out of the teen division, Railsback set her sights on her next goal: Miss Kansas USA.
Around the week of Thanksgiving last year, Railsback traveled to Wichita to compete against 34 other women in the 2015 Miss Kansas USA Pageant. She competed in Swimsuit, Evening Gown, private one-on-one interview with five judges and on-stage question. She also won the special achievement “Best in Evening Gown” Award. After two days of interviews and stage presentations, and 12 months of preparation, Railsback received her due reward on Nov. 30, 2014, obtaining the prestigious title of Miss Kansas USA 2015 and the opportunity to represent Kansas at Miss USA 2015. She was awarded over $57,000 in scholarships, as well as wardrobe, jewelry, hair and cosmetics prize packages and services.
Over the next year, she will be making various appearances in the state of Kansas and working with multiple charity organizations while also working with her sponsors and coaches for Miss USA.
Having just won Miss Kansas USA, Railsback now prepares herself for the Miss USA pageant. Miss USA falls under the Miss Universe Organization, which is owned and operated by Donald Trump and will air live on NBC in the summer.
At age 19, Railsback will likely be one of the youngest competitors. But Railsback is not one to shy away from a challenge. It doesn’t take long after spending any amount of time with her for one to realize that Railsback is a focused, driven and strong-willed competitor.
Railsback has poured countless hours preparing her mind and body for the Miss USA pageant, while also dedicating time to her studies and working part-time. But anyone who knows Railsback knows that the most important things in her life are her connection to her family and her relationship with religion.
Leading up to the pageant, Railsback prepares to present the best version of herslf at nationals and to walk away from the competition with no regrets, no matter the outcome. When asked about how she handles obstacles in life, she answered, “I believe that everything happens in God’s perfect timing and that everything happens for a reason.”
Regardless of how she places in the 2015 Miss USA Pageant, Railsback will emerge triumphant. Every step that she takes along the path toward the stage displays an achievement in and of itself. She is preparing herself to the best of her ability, and no one can ever take away from her the victories attained in her pursuit of the crown.
By Paul McPheeters
Special to The Ledger