OXNARD : Miss America Speaks Out for Education

Miss America 1996 visited Oxnard on Monday to spread her gospel about the importance of career-oriented education.

“Learning is earning,” said Shawntel Smith, who represented her home state of Oklahoma in the pageant. “Our education takes us where we want to be.”

Smith delivered her keynote address at Ventura County’s first School-to-Career Conference, part of a national program begun last year. The goal is to challenge local governments, school systems and private businesses to guide students into the workplace.

Smith, who was crowned Miss America in September in Atlantic City, N.J., made School-to-Work the centerpiece of her pageant platform. She now acts as an ambassador for the U.S. Department of Education program.

Smith arrived in Oxnard on Sunday night and will leave early today for Michigan. Although she spent two nights in the city, Smith saw little more than the inside of the Radisson Suite Hotel. At one point Monday, she managed to sneak out for an impromptu tour of Oxnard’s new high school.

Chaperon Bonnie Sirgany said Smith makes appearances across the country nearly every day.

On average, she travels about 20,000 miles a month with her rhinestone crown in her suitcase and gets only one day off every four weeks, said Sirgany, who has chaperoned six other Miss Americas.

Other than two weeks for Christmas, one for Easter and another short summer vacation, Smith is on the road, living in hotels and smiling as often as possible.

But Smith looked anything but tired as she delivered her motivational speech to the large audience of educators, business people and students.

“Sometimes I was very disenchanted with my education, to be honest with you,” Smith said. “I woke up in the morning not knowing what to do next or how to achieve my career goals.”

Which is why, she said, a program like School-to-Career is so helpful.

“Young people need help in making the transition from the classroom to the workplace. Students rely on us to help them make a difference.”

Smith specifically recommended that local business people be career mentors, and that parents get more involved in their children’s education.

“Parents definitely have to turn off the television and get involved with their child’s future,” she said.

Griselda Rodriguez, 16, said she found Miss America’s speech inspirational.

“It’s nice to have a young role model telling us we can succeed if we work hard and plan for the future,” said the high school senior from Camarillo.