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We’ve all heard the song… “There she is, Mrs. (United States) America. There she is, your ideal; The dream of a million girls who are more than pretty can come true …”

For one Winchester woman, her pageant dreams have come true.

Clark County’s very own Taylor Ruth is Mrs. Kentucky!

Mrs. United States of America Pageant is a beauty competition that was established to honor married women throughout the United States of America. Each of the contestants representing the 50 states and the District of Columbia range in age from their 20s to 50s and earns the right to participate in the national event by winning her state competition.

Crowned as Mrs. Kentucky in October, Ruth will represent the state in the Mrs. United States of America Pageant that will be held between Feb. 16 and Feb. 19 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Ruth, 28, is married to Dave and they have two sons, Brooks and Reid. A graduate of Eastern Kentucky University and Bluegrass Community and Technical College, Ruth is the the chief marketing officer and one of the owners for the Med Save Family of Pharmacies.

“Our independent pharmacies are local throughout Kentucky,” she said. “Our main goal within my department is to make sure worst-case scenario patients have the best and most affordable treatment possible.”

Winchester Sun is taking a page out of the question-answer format from Rolling Stone magazine so Ruth can describe in her own words what’s like to be Mrs. America.

What was your first thought about being crowned?

Overall gratitude and excitement were my initial thoughts. I did not have the normal crowning moment that we see on most pageant stages. Instead, I applied for the job, submitted my headshot, and ended up receiving a call back from the national office. I went through an interview process held with the United States of America’s Director.

We discussed my platform, family, career, and even shared stories about our two youngest who suffer from rare allergies and food allergies. The humbling part of this process is that women from all over the nation interview for a title in states that do not have a state pageant in place. Kentucky is one of those states. I was honored to be the interviewer chosen to represent my home state. I am so excited to hit the stage in February and hopefully have my very own traditional crowning.  

What do you get to do as Mrs. Kentucky? 

In many ways the title has allowed me to share what I have always done, but on a larger scale. As United States of America’s Mrs. Kentucky, I have been able to share my platform which is advocating for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in Kentucky and West Virginia. I own a mobile clothing boutique in town called The YaYa Society. This small shop is a proud supporter of The CF Foundation. We make a donation every month to help further research. With this title, I was able to raise just shy of $700 from the help of our community during the CF Climb last month. We were also able to take multiple U-Hauls filled with donations to the areas devastated by the western Kentucky tornados in December.

These donations poured in from so many towns in Kentucky (especially ones where we have Med Save locations), but also from my sash sisters from all over the nation. We raised just over $11,000 for the tornado victims and made Christmas a little brighter with hundreds of brand-new toys. I have so many people to mention and thank for this, the biggest being all the individuals who donated through Med Save Ministries.   

Did you grow up in Clark County? 
Clark County has been home to my family for 6 years and we are so proud to be from here. I grew up just down the road in Berea, KY. Both places are incredibly special to me. I grew up in Berea, but Winchester is where I bought my first home, where I brought both of my children home to, where I started a business, and so much more. There have been too many incredible firsts for a lifetime.  

What is the best part about being a queen? 
The best part of being a Queen is getting to meet so many people. I think it is so cool when people want to know more about pageantry and learn about my “why”. It is also humbling to learn more about these people. One of the coolest moments of my reign has been riding in the Clark County Christmas Parade. I met so many amazing people and was even able to do a meet and greet with the residents of Boonesboro Trail. I have to give a shoutout to all that made this parade happen. It was well organized, beautiful, and so much fun for the community. My children rode in the parade with me. It was a day I’ll never forget.