LauRen Merola

Pageant titleholder bio
title=Miss Pennsylvania USA 2008
nationalcompetition=Miss USA 2008
birthname= LauRen Merola
location=Baldwin, Pennsylvania, U.S.
birth = birth date and age|1984|6|5
height=height|ft=5|in=8
eye color= Brown
hair color= Brown

LauRen Merola (born 5 June, 1984) is a model and beauty queen from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania who competed in the Miss USA pageant in 2008.

Merola competed in her first Miss Universe Organization pageant in 1998 when she was a semi-finalist at Miss Florida Teen USA 1999. She later placed fourth runner-up at Miss Florida Teen USA 2002, was a semi-finalist at Miss Florida USA 2003, placed third runner-up at Miss Florida USA 2004 and a semi-finalist at Miss Florida USA 2006. She also competed for the Miss Florida 2006 title in the Miss America system. After moving to Pennsylvania Merola competed in the Miss Pennsylvania pageant in June 2007 and did not place, although she was a swimsuit preliminary award winner. Later that year Merola won the Miss Pennsylvania USA 2008 title in a state pageant held in Pittsburgh on 18 November.

Merola went on to represent Pennsylvania in the Miss USA 2008 pageant broadcast live from Las Vegas, Nevada on April 11, 2008, and had the most prior state experience of any contestant in that pageant. She placed fourth runner-up in the national competition, the highest placement for her state since Michele McDonald won the Miss USA title in 1971 and Pennsylvania's second placement in fifteen years.

Merola grew up in Baldwin, Pennsylvania but moved to Florida in eighth grade.cite news|title=For beauty queen, it's all about competition|publisher=South Hills Record|first=William|last=West|accessdate=2008-05-20|date=2008-03-27|url=http://www.yoursouthhills.com/southhillsrecord/article/beauty-queen-its-all-about-competition] She is a 2002 graduate of Piper High School in Sunrise, Florida and a 2006 graduate of Broward Community College with an associate's degree in broadcast communications.cite news|title=Newsmaker: LauRen Merola|first=Bobby|last=Kerlick|publisher=Pittsburgh Tribune-Review|date=2008-03-20|url=http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribunereview/news/cityregion/s_558126.html|accessdate=2008-03-22] She currently works as a Sales and Marketing executive for a stage lighting company. For three years Merola was a Miami Dolphins cheerleader. [cite magazine|title=Body blitz: the fit bodies of these cheerleaders aren't just out of bounds—they're out of this world|publisher=Muscle & Fitness|date=2004-10|last=O'Connell|first=Jeff|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0801/is_10_65/ai_n6240775]

Merola is a supporter of Hillary Clinton introduced Clinton at a campaign event in California University in California, Pennsylvania in April 2008. [cite news|title=More sticks and stones|publisher=MSNBC|date=2008-04-20|url=http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/04/20/924151.aspx|first=Domenico |last=Montanaro|accessdate=2008-05-21]

References

External links

* [http://www.misspennsylvaniausa.com/ Miss Pennsylvania USA official website]
* [http://www.missusa.com/delegates/2008/files/PA.html Miss USA Official Profile]