As she walked into her home church, friendly voices called out to Ali Rogers, Miss South Carolina 2012, who received the crown on July 14.
Having played the piano for years, Ali Rogers performed a self-arranged salute to the armed forces for the talent portion of the Miss South Carolina pageant.“Congratulations! We are so proud of you.”
Rogers accepted their offerings with grace and humility.
Born and raised in Laurens, the 20-year-old Rogers is a self-proclaimed hometown girl who loves that she gets to represent Laurens on a statewide scale. But she says the most exciting opportunity the title of Miss South Carolina has afforded her is the opportunity to share her faith.
“I want to be a disciple of Christ,” Rogers said. “That is my motivation for competing.”
The new Miss South Carolina has solid Baptist roots. Her mother, Adair Rogers, is minister of music at Laurens First Baptist Church and directs SeraphSong, a women’s choir made up of musicians serving in Baptist churches across the state. Her grandfather, Russell Dean, is chaplain of Martha Franks Baptist Retirement Community in Laurens.
Ali was active in South Carolina Baptist music activities, beginning with children’s music camps and continuing as a teenager through South Carolina Baptist All-State Chorus.
Having recently finished her second year at Clemson University, Rogers will take the next year off from her studies in order to spend time speaking to schools and organizations, expounding on her platform.
Rogers acknowledges that the pageant, by its nature, is a visually based program, but, for her, the benefits of the title lie outside the realm of physical beauty and within the opportunities the title of Miss South Carolina gives her. “A lot of girls wanted the crown, but I wanted the job,” she said.
Her motto, “Make a Difference,” is branded on a chunky white bracelet given to her in middle school by her mother. She wore the jewelry throughout the competition as a visible reminder of her commitment to the cause she represents. “I hope to be in schools every day helping kids with disabilities,” she said.
Since winning the title, she has traveled around the state on an almost daily basis. The work can be strenuous, she said, and, coupled with her preparation for the Miss America pageant in January 2013, it requires most of her time.
Ali Rogers, who was recently crowned Miss South Carolina, visits with her grandparents, Helen and Russell Dean, at Martha Franks Baptist Retirement Community in Laurens. Russell Dean is chaplain at Martha Franks and was longtime pastor of Clinton First Baptist Church.Even with the title, the responsibilities and the challenges yet to come, it’s hard for her to identify with the conventional pageant scene. Indeed, her campaign for Miss South Carolina didn’t follow the typical pageant format, as Rogers shunned advice to employ pageant coaches. Instead, she drew on her experience as an intern at Sen. Lindsey Graham’s office, and stayed up-to-date on current events and trends on the Internet. Rogers said she wanted her personal convictions to be the cornerstone of her platform. “I didn’t want someone else putting words in my mouth or thoughts in my head,” she said.
When the announcer called her name as the recipient of the 2012 Miss South Carolina crown, Rogers said she walked across the stage knowing she owed her success to God.
“It’s a lot easier competing when you have that peace,” she said. “I felt the presence of the Lord with me.”
Rogers understands that not everyone will accept her faith, telling of an instance when a fan tore up an autograph in front of her after realizing Rogers had added a Scripture reference alongside her signature. It was a disheartening lesson, she said, but one that made her testimony as a Christian and as Miss South Carolina all that more important.
“I don’t expect everyone to have the same beliefs I do,” she said. “I’ll try to be a shining example with or without the crown.”