Miss California, Tamiko Nash, pulling in the reception.

CANDACE ALLEN MISS USA FINALIST 2006

http://www.missusa.com/delegates/2006/files/DC.html

http://www.ontaponline.com/view_article.php?article_id=10194

Don't let the photo fool you: Miss D.C. Candace Allen , competing in Baltimore tonight to become Miss USA, is no Pageant Pattie. Sure, she's got a bit of glitz in her DNA -- her cousin was Miss Pennsylvania '03 and her aunt-by-marriage a founding member of Sister Sledge . But she had never done the pageant thing before winning the local crown last fall. And her career goal? To become an FCC lawyer. So non-pageant. So D.C.
A native of the Philly suburbs, Allen is a senior communications major at Howard University, which produced the last Miss D.C. to ascend to Miss USA, Shauntay Hinton, in 2002. "I'm excited," Allen told us over the phone from rehearsals in Charm City. "It's weird. I've been here for three weeks, and I can't believe that tomorrow someone will be Miss USA, whether it's me or someone else."
So . . . has she caught the bug? Will she continue with pageants if she loses this one? "I don't think so! I'm just happy I got this far."