UPDATE: Frankfort's Miss Illinois Contestant Has Time of Her Life at Pageant

UPDATE (10:56 a.m. Monday, Nov. 21): Michelle Papandrea sent in her final update from the Miss Illinois USA:

Unfortunately, I did not place in the top 15, which was my goal. But it is only my first pageant and the girl who won (Ashley Hooks) was the first runner-up last year and she is so sweet. She definitely deserves it! This will definitely not be my last pageant, I had the time of my life!

UPDATE (12:39 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 20): Michelle Papandrea e-mailed photos from the second day of the event, as well as another update:

I tried my best so now it's all up to fate! Again, my goal is top 15 but whatever the outcome is, this has already been an unforgettable experience! What I've noticed is that this is most of the girls' first time in a pageant, and I was not expecting that. But all of the pageant staff have been so wonderful with directing us, teaching us, and guiding us, and I couldn't be more happy. Tomorrow is a new day with hopefully exciting outcomes!

UPDATE (12:39 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 19): Michelle Papandrea e-mailed in this item from the first night of the competition:

So far so good! I got my hair and makeup done and I felt so confident walking into the interview room. The judges were all do nice and I was not intimidated at all. Tomorrow I'm walking up early and then we have rehearsals all day and then the Miss Teen pageant starts at 2 and I go on at 6!!

When an application for the Miss Illinois USA Pageant came in the mail over the summer, Michelle Papandrea decided to fill out on a lark. She had never competed in a pageant before, and she had only been modeling locally for a short time. 

But Papandrea, 19, doesn't like to do things small.

"Why start with such big pageant? If I'm going to do something, I'm going to go full out," the grad said. "Go big or go home, essentially."

As a sophomore at Chicago's Roosevelt University, Papandrea keeps a busy schedule, majoring in psychology, participating on the cheerleading team, belonging to a sorority and working at a downtown tanning salon as well as at , her father's Frankfort restaurant. But she's still found time to prepare nonstop since finding out in June that she would be competing in the pageant.

And what would make her first pageant a success?

"I want to make the top 15," Papandrea said. "Obviously, I want to win, but my goal is to make the top 15."

Patch wanted to prep Papandrea for the interview portion of the pageant, so we drilled her with these five hard-hitting questions. Thankfully, she was a good sport and played along.

What beauty pageant stereotype bothers you the most?

Papandrea: Probably the idea that pageant girls are just pretty faces. It honestly takes a lot of work to be in a pageant. There's a lot more than just gorgeous dresses, hair and makeup!

Your career goal is to be a psychiatrist. Are you going to use what you've learned in your psychology classes to figure out what the judges are looking for and get into the heads of your competition?

Papandrea: (Laughs) That would be nice. But I'm excited for what this pageant will bring me and who I will meet. I also can't wait to meet the judges and show them who I am. 

One of the parts of the pageant is the interview. What question do you wish they would ask and how would you answer it?

Papandrea: Honestly, I hope they ask me questions where I can joke around with them and truly show my personality. I would love if they asked me something like, "If you could be any type of food, what would you be and why?" I would say I'm like a pizza! I can be cheesy and saucy but just the right amount so people still love me. (Laughs) I would like to answer any question that has to do with myself and who I am. 

What secret--or not-so-secret--talent do you have that you wish you could use in the competition?

Papandrea: Well, I do have an identical twin sister, and if I got sick or something during the competition, I would love if she could just take my spot for a few hours. (Laughs) But really, even though I do actually have a twin, she will be in the audience supporting me. But I always have wanted to switch places and see if anyone would notice.

If you win, what will be your first official act as Miss Illinois?

Papandrea: The first thing I would do would be to put on my sash and crown and personally thank each person who sponsored me in this competition. I truly appreciate all of the support I've received and would want to visit each sponsor individually and show my gratitude. I'm just excited to be competing in this pageant and no matter how the results end up, I'm thankful for all of the people who are behind me.

Miss Illinois USA Pageant

When: Friday, Nov. 18 to Sunday, Nov. 20
Where: Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, Chicago
What's involved: On Friday, contestants are interviewed, and this is closed to the public. On Saturday, the contestants compete in the evening gown and swimwear categories. The top 15 are then chosen. The final competitions are Sunday, with the winner being chosen at the end.

CHECK BACK THIS WEEKEND for updates on Papandrea's progress in the pageant.