Texas Tech Law student competing for Miss America crown
By: Christian Henson
Updated: January 13, 2013
"So I've really been thankful for my time in Miss America and have earned about 30,000 dollars in scholarship money so far and I'm on track to graduate from law school at Texas Tech completely debt free."
DaNae Couch got involved with the Miss America Pageant when she was a junior in college at Baylor and competed for the Miss America title while also attending Texas Tech Law. A competitive baton twirler since the age of 9 she thought she was ready for the task.
"I already had a talent so I figured how hard could the rest of it be...I've since learned that there's a lot of work that goes behind what you see on the competition that you see on stage."
Performing is one of her passions but another is Advocacy and she is proud of the Miss America Pageant for giving women a voice.
"I really fell in love with the program not just because of the scholarships that it gives women, but the ability that gives girls and young ladies across the country to have a voice in an area that really means something to them."
DaNae is involved in a program called The Unconscious Truth that talks to teenagers about binge drinking and it's consequences.
"When they hear someone like me who's close to their age and is also doing things with her life I think they respect it more than if it comes from a principal, or a faculty member, or even an attorney."
DaNae was ready for the contest but also ready to come back to Texas Tech win or lose.
"So I've really fallen in love with the student body there and the faculty because there is so much of a family atmosphere and they have a really great focus on advocacy which is what I want to focus on when I finish law school."
