Rachel Smith, a native of Clarksville, Tennessee, was just crowned Miss USA.
 
Rachel was a student of mine when I taught at Clarksville Academy in 2000-01.
 
 The first time I ever met Rachel, she was about 15 years old and was about as tall as she is right now, 5-feet-eleven, and every bit as beautiful.
 She is as intelligent, sweet, respectful, polite, smart and down-to-earth as anyone I have ever met. She is genuinely a nice young lady. Rachael also was journalism major in college and plans to pursue a career in journalism, which is among the subjects I taught at our little school.
 
 I am proud of Rachel and happy for her family. I wanted to share this happy news with my friends and I consider y'all to be my friends.
 
 
Rachael will now compete for Miss Universe 2007 and I am confident she will win.
 
 
 
 

AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian
 
(Message edited by 57basstra on March 23, 2007)

 
 
Many more than 1,000 words

Rats ....lost again
 
PTBO

she's a cutie!......are you still in touch?

Paul:
 
Don't take it too hard, you were great in the swimsuit competition!  LOL
 
Bill, tgo

Bill, thank you for THAT visual

Keavin. I'm only in indirect contact through mutual friends, and former students, at the school.
 
With all of the not so pleasant things that happen in our world, it is nice to see a young person that you know personally having some good things happen for them and their friends and families. (When she was intereviewed during the live contest on NBC Friday she was asked about her volunteer work and she told about going to South Africa to volunteer there.)