American National Teen Scholarship Organization (ANTSO) crowned junior cellular biology major Lindsey Shapiro Miss North Carolina in June and second runner up at the national competition in July. Photo Courtesy of Erin Sullivan

Dressed in a Sigma Kappa T-shirt, jeans and Converses Lindsey Shapiro is an average Appalachian State University student and cellular biology major.

She's also Miss North Carolina.

Actually, Shapiro's technical title is Miss North Carolina, America National Teenage Scholarship Organization (ANTSO) National Miss.

She was crowned in June 2011, after winning the ANTSO pageant "on a whim."

"Before I entered the pageant, no one knew I was doing it except my best friend and boyfriend," Shapiro said. "I had been doing research on scholarship money for school and the pageant was one of the things that came up."

Prior to entering, Shapiro worked at Lowe's Hardware in Banner Elk and called herself "the biggest tomboy you've ever met." She said she'd never thought of entering pageants before last summer.

When she won her title, Shapiro received both money and philanthropy responsibilities. A typical weekend for her now involves plenty of community service connected to her title.

"It's a job in the sense that I do a lot of community service," Shapiro said. "I have to make so many Boys and Girls Club appearances and I'm also the statewide spokesman for Alzheimer's disease."

Shapiro, who also works at the University Writing Center and is a Plemmons Leadership Fellow, said shows like TLC's "Toddlers and Tiaras" are an inaccurate portrayal of pageant life.

"The pageant was more like a job interview," she said. "You had people grilling you on current events, your resume or how you could hold the title. It was a really interesting experience, though."

Those who know Shapiro said her low-key personality surprised them.

"When I heard that I was going to be taking Lindsey's picture, my first thought was, 'Oh great, she'll be focused on herself,'" photographer Tara Jackson said. "When I met her, though, she was the most down to earth person, had so much personality and is on the verge of being a tomboy."

Despite describing herself as an atypical pageant girl, Shapiro said she now dreams of becoming Miss America, but she has academic goals as well.

"I feel like I embody the down to earth, girl next door feel that would make me a great Miss America," she said. "I also want to continue my education, though, and get my Ph.D. in neuroscience."

Story: MEGAN WRAPPE, Lifestyles Reporter