Leah Laviano

Pageant titleholder bio
photo=
title=Miss Mississippi USA 2008
nationalcompetition=Miss USA 2008 (1st Runner-up)
location=Antioch, California U.S. [cite website|url=http://www.nbc.com/Miss_USA_2008/delegates/ms.shtml|title=Miss Mississippi USA profile|publisher=NBC]
birthname= Leah Laviano
height=height|ft=5|in=4
birth = birth date and age|1988|03|22
eye color= Brown
hair color= Brown

Leah Laviano is a beauty queen from Ellisville, Mississippi who competed in the Miss USA pageant in 2008.

Laviano competed in her first Miss Universe Organization state pageant in 2005, finishing first runner-up to Raegan Raulston at Miss Mississippi Teen USA 2006. In 2007 she won the Miss Mississippi USA 2008 title, the first time she competed in that pageant.

Laviano represented Mississippi at the Miss USA 2008 pageant held April 11, 2008 in Las Vegas, Nevada. She placed first runner-up to Crystle Stewart of Texas in the nationally televised pageant, which is the highest placement ever achieved by Mississippi in the 57 year history of the event. [cite news|title=Texas beauty wins Miss USA in Vegas -- Beats Miss. entrant to succeed Tennessean |last=Associated Press|publisher=The Commercial Appeal|date=2008-04-12|page=A6] Prior to Laviano's placement, only one titleholder, Jennifer Adcock, had placed since 1990.

Having graduated South Jones High School in 2006, Laviano went on to study English at Jones County Junior College. [cite news|title=JCJC student Leah Laviano to represent state in Miss USA pageant|date=2008-04-11|publisher=Leader Call|first=Bess|last=Butler] She plans to continute her education in English at Ole Miss. [cite news|title=http://www.leadercall.com/local/local_story_289095343.html|publisher=Leader Call|title=Laviano to represent Mississippi in Miss USA|date=2007-10-16]

References

External links

* [http://www.premierpageants.com Miss Mississippi USA official website]