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Miss Louisiana USA Erin Edmiston is also the reigning Miss UL and the daughter of UL Alumni Association Director David Edmiston.

The first time 22-year-old Erin Edmiston entered any kind of pageant was in 2010. A friend of her brother Drew had been after her to consider competing in the Miss UL contest, but she would always tell him no.

"I just wasn’t a pageant kind of girl," said Edmiston. "I never thought I’d be getting up on stage and competing like that. But when I won (Miss UL) and my name was called I was overjoyed. I went on to compete in Miss Louisiana USA and I made the top 10. I wanted to make it my goal to win the title."And win it she did. On Saturday, the Miss Louisiana USA pageant was held at the Heymann Center in Lafayette and, after two days of interviews, evening gown and swimsuit competition, she beat out 31 other contestants from around the state to win the crown.

"It was just surreal," said Edmiston. "It was nerve wracking and it just didn’t feel real.""You had a smile on your face from here to Texas," added David Edmiston, Erin’s father, "but you were very together."

Edmiston has reason to be proud. Not only is his daughter representing Lafayette as the next Miss Louisiana USA, she is also representing UL at Lafayette. She is currently a senior there and is set to graduate in December. Edmiston is the newlyappointed Director of the UL Alumni Association, so he is keenly aware of how much Erin brings to the picture as a student about to go out into the world and a reigning beauty queen.

"She will be an excellent spokesperson and representative for UL and our state," saidEdmiston.

"As Alumni Director, I love to see our former students succeed in life. I just have an overwhelming sense of pride."Edmiston’s family goes back a long way in the UL system. His father, mother, brother, sisters, wife, son and now daughter are all alumnus. His son Drew was a kicker for the UL football team.

"I was one of the loudest ones there cheering her on," said Drew. "It was so exciting to watch her knowing how she put a whole year ofeffort into it. She was very dedicated."

Erin’s mother, Gema also was in the audience for the competition and said she was muchmore nervous than any contestant.

"I was a disaster," said Gema. "I couldn’t eat lunch I was so nervous for her."Erin said she wasn’t nervous at the time, but as she thinks about what is ahead things are sure to change. S

he will now start a busy tour around the state making appearances on behalf of the Miss Louisiana USA organization. She will also have to start getting ready to go on and compete in the Miss USA pageant this summer where she will go head to head against winners from all over the country."It’s overwhelming," she said. "But I’m just taking it one day at a time."

The Edmiston family says they were there for Erin at the Miss Louisiana USA competition and they plan to be there for her at the Miss USA pageant whenever and wherever it is held.

"We plan to have a big crowd of supporters there for her," said Edmiston. "They haven’t announced the date or where the pageant will be held yet, but we will be there."

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