Rachel Saunders
Encyclopedia
Rachel Saunders is a beauty queen who has held the title Miss Kansas USA
2005 and competed at Miss USA
. She is also known as 'Bissy' or 'Mwissy' but her official title is now Mrs Sunshine.
Saunders, who hails from Tonganoxie, Kansas
, attended Tonganoxie High School and later Johnson County Community College
and the University of Kansas
. She has enrolled in a variety of classes, including occupational therapy
, marketing
, art, and photography
, but has yet to decide on her major. At the time of her reign she was working in a bridal boutique in Kansas City
.
Saunders was encouraged to compete in pageants by local high school teacher Vicki Cackler, mother of Danielle Boatwright
, who has represented Kansas at both Miss USA
and Miss Teen USA
and would later go on to win Survivor: Guatemala
. Saunders' first pageant experience came in 2004, when she was a finalist in the Miss Kansas USA pageant won by Lisa Forbes
. She won the crown on her second attempt in the following year.
In April 2005 Saunders represented Kansas in the Miss USA 2005
pageant held in Baltimore, Maryland. She failed to place in the nationally televised pageant, which was won by Chelsea Cooley
of North Carolina
. In December 2005, Saunders passed on her crown to Ashley Aull
of Lansing
.
Miss Kansas USA
The Miss Kansas USA pageant is a competition that selects the representative for the state of Kansas in the Miss USA pageant.Kansas did not place at Miss USA until 1973, the third-to-last state to make their first placement. From then, no delegate from Kansas made the cut until 1991, when Kelli...
2005 and competed at Miss USA
Miss USA
The Miss USA beauty contest has been held annually since 1952 to select the United States entrant in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operates both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA...
. She is also known as 'Bissy' or 'Mwissy' but her official title is now Mrs Sunshine.
Saunders, who hails from Tonganoxie, Kansas
Tonganoxie, Kansas
Tonganoxie is a city in Leavenworth County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 4,996.-Geography:Tonganoxie is located at...
, attended Tonganoxie High School and later Johnson County Community College
Johnson County Community College
Johnson County Community College Is referred to locally by the synechdoche "Ju-co", and is located in Overland Park, Kansas at College Boulevard and Quivira Road.-History:...
and the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
. She has enrolled in a variety of classes, including occupational therapy
Occupational therapy
Occupational therapy is a discipline that aims to promote health by enabling people to perform meaningful and purposeful activities. Occupational therapists work with individuals who suffer from a mentally, physically, developmentally, and/or emotionally disabling condition by utilizing treatments...
, marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
, art, and photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
, but has yet to decide on her major. At the time of her reign she was working in a bridal boutique in Kansas City
Kansas City, Kansas
Kansas City is the third-largest city in the state of Kansas and is the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, and is the third largest city in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The city is part of a consolidated city-county government known as the "Unified...
.
Saunders was encouraged to compete in pageants by local high school teacher Vicki Cackler, mother of Danielle Boatwright
Danni Boatwright
Danni Boatwright , a beauty queen and model from Kansas, won $1,000,000 on Survivor: Guatemala, the eleventh season of the reality television show Survivor...
, who has represented Kansas at both Miss USA
Miss USA
The Miss USA beauty contest has been held annually since 1952 to select the United States entrant in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operates both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA...
and Miss Teen USA
Miss Teen USA
Miss Teen USA is a beauty pageant run by the Miss Universe Organization for girls aged 14–19. The reigning titleholder is Danielle Doty of Texas....
and would later go on to win Survivor: Guatemala
Survivor: Guatemala
Survivor: Guatemala — The Maya Empire, commonly referred to as Survivor: Guatemala, is the eleventh season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. The season was filmed in the Yaxhá-Nakúm-Naranjo National Park near the more popular Tikal National Park, located in...
. Saunders' first pageant experience came in 2004, when she was a finalist in the Miss Kansas USA pageant won by Lisa Forbes
Lisa Forbes
Lisa Marie Forbes is a beauty queen from Overland Park, Kansas who competed in the Miss USA pageant and went on to compete at Miss Earth 2007.-Pageants:...
. She won the crown on her second attempt in the following year.
In April 2005 Saunders represented Kansas in the Miss USA 2005
Miss USA 2005
Miss USA 2005, the 54th Miss USA pageant, was held in Baltimore, Maryland in April 11, 2005. It was won by Chelsea Cooley of North Carolina.Fifty-one state titleholders competed for the title of Miss USA in the Hippodrome Theatre on April 11, 2005...
pageant held in Baltimore, Maryland. She failed to place in the nationally televised pageant, which was won by Chelsea Cooley
Chelsea Cooley
Chelsea Cooley is a beauty queen from Charlotte, North Carolina who has competed in the Miss Teen USA, Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants and who has held the Miss USA 2005 title....
of North Carolina
Miss North Carolina USA
The Miss North Carolina USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state North Carolina in the Miss USA pageant. This state is part of the RPM Productions group....
. In December 2005, Saunders passed on her crown to Ashley Aull
Ashley Aull
Ashley Erin Aull is a beauty queen from Lansing, Kansas who has competed in the Miss USA pageant.Aull won the Miss Kansas USA 2006 title in a state pageant held in late 2005. It was her second attempt at the title as she had placed fourth runner-up to Rachel Saunders in 2005. Aull comes from...
of Lansing
Lansing, Kansas
Lansing is a city situated along the Missouri River in the eastern part of Leavenworth County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 11,265...
.