Hollywood , Florida ( CNN ) -- Connor Boss appears to be just like any other contestant waiting to sign into the Miss Florida USA pageant until it is her turn to fill out the registration sheet . Boss , with her nose almost touching the paper , has trouble reading the form . Boss , 18 , is the first legally blind contestant to compete for Miss Florida USA . Ten years ago , she was diagnosed with Stargardt disease , a hereditary eye disease that caused her vision to get progressively worse . `` It affects my retina and my central vision , so my peripheral vision is intact , '' said Boss . `` When I 'm looking at people , I try and look around . People take me as being rude but it 's hard for me to focus straight forward . '' Focusing is not a problem for Boss when it comes to her goals . Boss , a freshman at Florida State University , graduated high school with a 4.2 grade point average . `` All of her tests ended up being read to her , even the SAT and ACT for college were read to her , '' said her mother , Traci Boss . It was not only academia where Boss excelled ; she was her high school senior class president and captain of the cheerleading squad . Boss got her start in pageants after seeing her friends compete . `` All the girls participated in this pageant called Miss Junior Harvest Queen and Harvest Queen , '' she said . Boss entered Miss Harvest Queen when she was 16 . Triathlete with Stargardt disease sues over blackout glasses requirement . `` I ended up winning , which was the coolest experience , '' she said excitedly , as if it was yesterday . `` And I promised myself after that I had to try another one . '' During the pageants , Boss is treated just like all the other contestants , but she must rely on her other senses to compensate for her poor eyesight . In rehearsal , Boss pays close attention to where she needs to be on stage and how to get there . `` She 'll actually say 'four steps here , step down four steps , step down , ' `` explained Miss Florida USA Executive Producer Grant Gravitt . `` She 'll memorize it . '' Humor is also an important outlet for Boss when dealing with her disease . `` I find a lot of humor in it , the stupid stuff that I do , like running into things , tripping all the time over things that I can not see , '' she said . Although Boss is good at laughing off her missteps , she works very hard to avoid them , especially when she is on stage . `` I think she 's different than any other girl but not because of her blindness , '' said Gravitt . `` I just think that she 's an awesome young lady that is really coming into the prime of her own . '' Boss , who has as good a chance as the other 73 contestants at becoming Miss Florida USA 2013 , says the older she gets the less importance she places on winning the crown . `` I 've come to learn that it 's not even about winning the pageants , '' she said . `` I 'm so glad that my story can be shared and that at least if I can inspire one person , I feel like I 've won already . '' Married beauty queen must return crown .
Connor Boss , 18 , is the first legally blind contestant to compete in Miss Florida USA . She was diagnosed with a hereditary eye disease at age 8 . Boss , a college freshman , says winning the pageant is n't why she 's competing . 'If I can inspire one person , I feel like I 've won already , ' she says .