▁younger ▁brothers ▁Nicholas ▁Andrew , ▁Jackson ▁Ryan ; ▁and ▁little ▁sister ▁Mag gie ▁Louise . ▁ ▁A ▁nation ally ▁ranked ▁sw immer , ▁Smith ▁graduated ▁from ▁Str at ford ▁High ▁School ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁and ▁studied ▁cos met ology ▁at ▁Char l eston ▁Institute ▁of ▁Cos met ology . ▁She ▁would ▁work ▁with ▁photograph er ▁Michael ▁Pet ry , ▁assist ing ▁him ▁with ▁make - up ▁and ▁ha irst y ling , ▁and ▁was ▁purs uing ▁a ▁career ▁in ▁hospital ity ▁and ▁tour ism ▁at ▁Tr ident ▁Techn ical ▁College ▁prior ▁to ▁her ▁winning ▁Miss ▁South ▁Carolina ▁USA . ▁ ▁Miss ▁South ▁Carolina ▁USA ▁Smith ' s ▁first ▁for ay ▁into ▁page antry ▁came ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁while ▁she ▁was ▁a ▁junior ▁in ▁high ▁school , ▁when ▁a ▁local ▁page ant ▁director ▁asked ▁her ▁to ▁particip ate ▁in ▁Miss ▁Te en ▁Char l eston ▁USA , ▁a ▁title ▁she ▁would ▁win . ▁At ▁the ▁next ▁level , ▁Smith ▁realized ▁she ▁needed ▁to ▁learn ▁more ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁win ▁a ▁state ▁title ▁and ▁took ▁this ▁experience ▁as ▁a ▁ste pping ▁stone ▁to ▁her ▁future ▁participation ▁in ▁page ants . ▁ ▁Two ▁years ▁later , ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁Smith ▁participated ▁as ▁Miss ▁Char l eston ▁USA ▁in ▁Miss ▁South ▁Carolina ▁USA ▁and ▁placed ▁fourth ▁runner - up . ▁Fe eling ▁close ▁to ▁the ▁crown , ▁Smith ▁competed ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁this ▁time ▁as ▁Miss ▁Summer ville ▁USA , ▁and ▁again ▁finished