EDITOR’S NOTE: Chelsea Cooley, Miss USA 2005, is proud to say she’s the first woman from her state to have earned that pageant title. She was 21 and a junior at the Art Institute of Charlotte who was also filing on-air reports for a live entertainment show in Charlotte, when she won the Miss North Carolina USA title that propelled her on to being crowned last April in Baltimore.

A fun-loving, outdoor girl with an admitted “type A” personality, Chelsea loves to go jet skiing, snorkeling, and dancing in her spare time. But she’s put relaxation on hold for the opportunity to serve as Miss USA, championing the official causes of Miss USA — breast and ovarian cancer education, research, and legislation — while traveling both here and abroad as an advocate for charitable organizations and a goodwill ambassador for the Miss Universe Organization.

We first met Chelsea in the summer of 2001, when she was chosen for one of the coveted modeling spots in the 2002 Pageantry & PromTime Fashion Showcase. In person, she is warm, gracious, and loves to kid around and giggle. But she also knows when it is time to work. Chelsea proved to be an elegant model with uncommon maturity who looked marvelous in any gown — traits that served her well in her competitions. In early December 2005, having just turned 22 and back from a Thanksgiving break, she was charged up once again for Interview — only this time she had nothing left to prove. – FA

Pageantry magazine: What’s it like being in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?

Chelsea Cooley: That’s so New York! I loved every minute of it. I flew my mom up, and my aunt and my cousin joined me as well. We had a good time in the city. I’ll go home for Christmas, and spend some time with the rest of my family there.

PM: Did you have any time for shopping at Macy’s?

CC: Oh, yes, I can always find time for shopping! [Laughing] There are such amazing shopping opportunities in New York, and when I’m in town I always want to get out and find new stores.

PM: So what else have you been doing lately?

CC: [Laughing] It seems there’s never a dull moment with this job. October was very busy, because it was Breast Cancer Awareness month. I was doing a lot with ovarian cancer programs, and with the holidays coming up I’ve just been going non-stop. But I love it, doing various charity events, going to galas, and helping to raise money for different foundations this time of year.

PM: With the ovarian cancer issue, how are you trying to get that across?

CC: Trying to educate women about the seriousness of both types of cancer has been my main focus for the past season. It’s interesting, because breast cancer awareness programs and promotions are everywhere — everywhere you go you see the symbolic pink ribbon. It’s different with ovarian cancer, because a lot of people tend to whisper about the disease. It’s tough for me to try to find that balance in speaking about both, and not wanting to preach too much about one or the other organization, because they’re both equally important in trying to create awareness, support legislation, and raise funding for.

PM: How can you help women with this issue?

CC: Basically, women wonder what I can do, especially since most women dealing with ovarian cancer are over age thirty-five, and here I am twenty-two years old. Well, firstly, you don’t have to be thirty-five years old to become aware of your body’s health. It doesn’t matter how old you are; it’s a necessity to take care of yourself. So when I talk to women, I let them know that it’s equally important for women my age to start taking better care of themselves at an earlier age, because there’s no detection system for ovarian cancer, and because a lot of breast cancers are diagnosed at later stages of the disease.

PM: Have you had any personal experiences with serious diseases?

CC: I’ve been very blessed not to have had cancer in my family, although my mother did have endometriosis [a painful condition due to tissue forming outside a woman’s uterus], so there is a constant alert on my mother’s side of the family for ovarian cancer-related diseases like endometriosis. But as I tell women I work with, we are all affected by the very fact that we are women, and just because you haven’t had it happen in your life doesn’t mean it can’t happen. That’s not to scare women, but just to become smart about your body.

PM: Since becoming Miss USA, what have you learned about dealing with the media?

CC: From an early age, my mom always told me to watch what you say, because you never know who’s around listening, and so I’ve carried that lesson with me into this experience of being Miss USA. And it’s true that when you’re in the public eye, you never know when someone’s going to be taking a picture of you, maybe making a weird face or something like that. But it is a blessing to be thrust into the public eye and have the privilege of doing these events and spreading the word.

CELEBRITY STATUS: The camera loves Chelsea Cooley, as any photo of her reveals, whether she’s posing for a Fadil Berisha studio portrait (top), comparing notes with actress Meryl Streep at a Christopher Reeve Foundation fund-raiser (above), or erecting Habitat for Humanity houses with Today Show co-host Katie Couric (below).

PM: What are some of the toughest questions you face?

CC: Pageant cattiness, gossip, girls’ eating habits and dieting, which are issues that are prevalent in society today, are the kinds of things that are brought up frequently, and I’m happy they are so that I can set the record straight — that this is a job, and that as Miss USA you have to be physically fit to endure the schedule for the year, because it is grueling, but it is definitely worth it in the long run.

PM: Does being on the road so much pose a challenge?

CC: I’m always traveling, but it’s great. When I was younger, I always wanted to be a jet-setter, and I get to do that now... the whole month being in Thailand to compete in Miss Universe was a wonderful experience in itself. I do a lot of work with the USO, so I’ve been to Taquila, I’ve been to Curacao, I’ve been all over the country — you name it, and we try to fit it into my schedule.

PM: What’s been your favorite destination?

CC: That’s so hard to answer, because I am so eager to learn about new places and meet new people. I just love all of it. whether it’s Tulsa, Oklahoma, or the U.S. Naval station at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, this opportunity as Miss USA is only for one year, so I try to take any opportunity to travel for everything it’s worth.

PM: What’s the nightlife experience in New York City been like?

CC: There’s so many great events I’ve been able to attend. On Halloween, me, Natalie Glebova, Miss Universe, and Allie LaForce, Miss Teen USA, were able to attend Bette Midler’s birthday party to raise money for the restoration of parks in New York City. We met Bette Midler, Elton John, Mariah Carrey, Sting, and Martha Stewart — so many incredible and fascinating people whom I admire. When you meet people of this caliber, it’s just mind-boggling. We were at the Christopher Reeve Foundation’s “Magical Evening 2005” event, and not knowing too much about spinal chord injuries, I was able to learn quite a lot. We were introduced to a teenage girl, about age 16, who had been in a horrible diving accident, and had less than a one percent chance that she would ever move her foot again. Due to the technology made available through the Christopher Reeve Foundation, she was able to walk on-stage with braces. Seeing someone like that at such a wonderful gala event is an experience I’ll never forget.

PM: What are the conversations with celebrities like?

CC: At the Christopher Reeve event, I spoke with Meryl Streep — it’s just astounding that I was even in the same room with her! We talked for about fifteen minutes about the work that I do and her work with the Christopher Reeve Foundation. It was wonderful to be able to have that kind of conversation with her. I also attended an event for the Joe Torre “Safe At Home” Foundation [which develops educational programs designed to break the cycle of domestic violence]. Michael Bolton was there, and I spoke with him about the work he does on tour helping to raise money for charities related to ending domestic violence. It’s nice to bring it down a level out of the spotlight, and to talk one-on-one to someone like that who has such great power doing such great things because of their celebrity status.

PM: What lessons are you learning now that you can apply after leaving Miss USA?

CC: It was kind of tough at the beginning, because I’m kind of a control freak, and I had to have my schedule all planned out in a timely fashion. But working in this business, things are always changing right up to the last minute, so I had to learn early on how to roll with the punches and then become a chameleon and adapt to my surroundings. Now, if I don’t know what I’m doing until the night before, I’m totally okay with that. This year is really testing my stamina and how I am able to draw from my inner strength. Children just melt my heart in every way, shape, and form. I was in Baltimore visiting the Ronald McDonald House, meeting with children who are extremely sick with different types of cancer, and seeing the pain in their eyes and how they’re having to deal with serious health issues at such a young age, it’s all I can do to maintain my composure, but I have to in order to keep them smiling. I know that, in dealing with all these situation, I’ll be prepared for anything I might have to deal with.

PM: How did your upbringing influence how you’ve handled your responsibilities?

CC: I was born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina. My parents have been divorced since I was about a year and a half old. Through the strength my mother exuded in raising me alone, along with other family members, they definitely helped me become a very independent, motivated, and passionate young woman, and that’s affected how I treat my job as Miss USA. I certainly learned from the hard workers in my family. I answer every single e-mail that I receive, and I have fifteen hundred in my in-box right now [giggles]. I try to put my all in everything I do, and in doing that, I know that I’m going to leave something behind.

PM: Do you have any plans for a show business career after your year as Miss USA?

CC: Definitely. I would love working in television and possibly getting into hosting. I did some work in TV before I became Miss USA, and I’ve been in front of the camera so much this year as Miss USA, that it’s something that I know I can focus on right now and do well. I’ve met with several agencies and casting directors in hopes of making something happen. Hopefully, it will pay off.

PM: What did you like about being in the Pageantry & PromTime photo shoot?

CC: Oh, it was so much fun. I was in high school, I got to travel to a place I’d never seen, and I met a lot of wonderful people. It was fun getting into that part of the business at an earlier age. It definitely helped me become more confident in front of the camera. I really enjoyed it. It was really neat to see what goes on behind the scenes and all that goes into the making of a project like that.

PM: Do you have any words of advice for the girls seeking your job?

CC: The most important thing that I ever learned was to be proud of who I am. I went into competing for Miss USA in that frame of mind. You can achieve anything as long as you are proud of who you are, where you come from, and what you stand for. Because when you believe in yourself, everyone else will, too, and you won’t even have to say a thing. I believe that one-hundred-and-ten percent.