What are your hobbies?
Singing, dancing, running, playing basketball, watching home videos, going to sporting events, traveling, and meeting new people.

What makes you special and unique?
My bi-racial, Cuban American family makes me unique. In 1963, my Cuban-born father's family home was overtaken by dictator Fidel Castro and made into a hospital. My paternal family then fled to Miami to take advantage of the liberties & education only America could offer.

What is the best advice you have ever received?
Being a competitive person I have learned that everything doesn't always come easy. My basketball coach once said "There are no shortcuts to anyplace worth going." These words mean to me that you can't expect success if you only put fifty percent of effort. One hundred ten percent of true blood, sweat, tears, and a lot of heart will get you so much further in life and in the end it will definitely be worth it.

Name one thing you cannot live without.
Prayer! As a Christian, I have been taught that when in doubt always pray. A simple prayer can overcome the smallest or greatest struggle in life. My faith is very important to me and I know prayer is the one thing I could never live without.

What is the most valuable lesson you ever learned?
You will never know what you are capable of doing until you try. God has blessed everyone with talents, but we honestly don't know what we could be successful in if we don't attempt new things. The lesson I have learned is to not be scared to attempt something new. Sometimes we can exceed our own expectations with undiscovered talents.

Who is your most valued role model and why?
My aunt. She is a very busy wife, mother, and friend. She graduated from Blue Mountain College on a basketball scholarship when women's athletics were just beginning to be recognized as a viable entity in college athletics. She has two very active children and always manages to be supportive in my activities as well as theirs. We relate to each other in many ways and she constantly gives me great advice. I appreciate her not only as my aunt but as one of my best friends.

What was your most unexpected moment?
Hearing my name being called out on the starting line-up for my high school basketball team. The majority of my teammates have been playing since they could walk. Eleven years behind didn't stop me. I have worked very hard to be in the position I am today. Matter of fact, I'm still not done. I am working very hard to hear my name called again next year as I continue to play in college.

What is your workout routine?
My routine consists alot of cardio. Running is a stress reliever. I lift weights five days a week and I enjoy having my fabulous director, Ms. Deanna as a workout partner.

What has been your biggest accomplishment to date?
My mentoring program is something I am very proud of. I started a group of High School Seniors, who work with children everyday in the classroom. More one-on-one attention with these children is making a difference and we're motivated to keep educating their young lives as great leaders and role models.

What is the best compliment you have ever received?
The best compliment I have ever received came from one of my teachers. I was told that I am a true person. I am a girl comfortable in my own skin and I am okay with that. I'm daring and am not afraid to speak my mind and state my own opinions. I'm real and never try to be anything other than myself.

What is your secret wish?
This is really no secret, but my wish is to travel to Cuba. I want to obtain more knowledge of my ancestry and history. Part of me lies there and I pray that one day I will have the opportunity to personally see and learn about myself in a place my family once called "Home."

What was your most embarrassing moment?
My most embarrassing moment happened when I was in Jr. High School. We were studying about the stock market and I asked my teacher out loud "How many people died when the stock market crashed?" ....I thought that "Wall Street" the building had actually fallen. I will leave it at that, a complete blonde moment!

What is your biggest guilty pleasure?
Peanut Butter and Choclate milkshakes from Baskin Robbins is my biggest guilty pleasure. It is hard to resist, but I know I can't always have it. Why oh why can't they be fat free!

What is your favorite movie and why?
Any movie Julia Roberts is in! I do not have a specific favorite. She is such a diverse actress. I love all her movies.

What is your favorite color and why?
PINK of course! My last name is Rosado.

For those who don't know, Rosado means pink in Spanish.

What do you like to do for fun... relaxation... recreation?
For relaxation I absolutely love laying by the pool or beach. There is nothing better for a girl to just lay back, relax, and work on a tan all at once. For recreation I play basketball. This is my favorite sport of all time. Playing basketball, running, and even lifting weights is the action my body receives every single day.

What would be your dream vacation or destination?
I have traveled to fifteen countries and four continents, but one place I would love to visit is Sydney, Australia. I enjoy lounging on the beach and it is said that Australia has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

What do you like best about your hometown?
Pontotoc is a very close community that is very family oriented. We are a basically one big happy family. Like most families there are disagreements, but in the end we all settle our differences and come together for the common good.

What do you like best about the state of Mississippi, besides our food & hospitality?
Mississippi is a wonderful state with a big heart. We as a state have been through alot and I am very proud to say that I'm a Mississippi girl. One of the best things about Mississippi to me is that we're the most giving state to charities. We contribute so much and because of this we are known for our outstanding hospitality. Mississippi is amazing and I love that it is my home.

What's in your CD player or on your iPod right now?
Actually, right now my CD player has my talent song in it. As for my iPod, it has all different types of music, but I will tell you that the last song I listened to was, "Because You Love Me" by Celine Dion.

Where do you see yourself in ten years?
In ten years I will have graduated college and will be working to be a successful teacher in Pontotoc. Maybe I will have found my future spouse and we will be ready to settle down, grow old, and enjoy life together in Mississippi.

Who am I?
I am Ana "Lauren" Rosado and I'm eighteen years old. I live in Pontotoc and attended Pontotoc High School where I am active in many clubs and sports. Like every other teenager, I love to have fun. I mentor twice a week in a Kindergarten classroom and enjoy every minute of it. I am very passionate about children and I truly love working with them. I hope to fund my education through basketball and earn a degree in Elementary Education.

I would say that I'm not your everyday pageant girl. I have a huge obsession with sports and I have a very competitive drive. Sometimes I still have a little girl in me and enjoy playing with my younger cousins. My favorite food has always been macaroni and cheese and I honestly don't believe it will ever change. I love traveling and if for some reason I do not become a teacher, I think I would be a great travel agent.

As a child, I had always invisioned being Miss Mississippi. Its hard to believe I am already at the age to where I can compete for this prestigious title. I am young, but I am ready to learn and work very hard to have what it takes to be Miss Mississippi. This is a little bit about me and hopefully this won't be the last time you see me on this website.

Tell us about your occupational experience.
As you have read, I am a crazy sports fanatic. My first job was working at our Park and Rec. I kept the scoreboard and books for baseball and softball games. My job now is working at a daycare, where I help teach pre-school to three and four year olds. Ultimately, this job made me realize what I want to do with the rest of my life and children are definitely going to be apart of it.

Tell us about your platform.
My platform is Project DREAM (Developing Reading Education Around Mississippi.) As we all know reading and reading comprehension is crucial to proper educational advancement. Almost 100 million Americans and almost 30% of Mississippians have limited reading and writing skills. Studies have shown that people who have difficulties with reading are most likely to smoke, use drugs, and have a greater chance of unemployment.

This platform is dear to my heart because my father had trouble reading when he was in first grade. Trying to learn two different languages and to read them caused him to fall behind one year. My father ended up graduating in the top 10% of his class and is now a successful pilot at FedEx.

I want to make a difference in many childrens' lives by encouraging that importance of reading. Mentoring can be a huge influencing factor in changing and lowering Mississippi's reading percentage.