When Eady Pinckard was named Miss Troy 2009 Saturday night, her first thought was “Wow!”

“I was so excited,” the Pike Liberal Arts School junior said. “Being Miss Troy was something that I had wanted for a long time. For almost as long as I can remember, those who have been Miss Troy have been the ones that I have really looked up to. They have been my role models. I wanted the chance to set an example for younger girls. I wanted to be a role model.”

Pinckard said the qualities that she posses that she would like for younger girls to emulate are Christian values and hard work.

“I’m a Christian. I love God,” she said. “And I work hard at whatever I do. I always want to do my best and, if I do that, I think I will always be happy with myself.”

The Miss Troy 2009 pageant was the first pageant that Pinckard has entered, except for a school pageant when she was in ninth grade.

“It was something that I wanted to do and it was something that my mother wanted me to do and supported me in,” Pinckard said. “And Tara Rodgers encouraged me and helped me through every step of the process.”

Being a first-time pageant participant, Pinckard admitted that she was probably more nervous than she would have been if she had been in the spotlight more often.

“I was definitely nervous,” she said. “I tried to calm my nervous by praying to do my best.”

Being Miss Troy 2009 will require a lot of Pinckard’s time but she said that will not interfere with the fun and excitement of her senior year. It will just make it even more exciting.

“I love Troy and I’m looking forward to representing my hometown throughout the year and at the National Peanut Festival pageant in the fall,” she said. “Troy is the perfect size town. It’s not that big but we have everything that we need to make it a great community. It’s just the right size town for families. Everybody knows each other and people are so friendly. And, too, we have Troy University. which makes it an even better place to live and I’m a fan of Troy University.”

Even though Pinckard is a fan of Troy University, she plans to attend Auburn University after high school graduation in 2010.

“I’m going to study pharmacy and Auburn has one of the best pharmacy programs in the country,” she said. “It will be eight years of college but that’s my goal and I’m willing to work hard to achieve it.”

Pinckard can’t pinpoint the time when she decided that pharmacy was her primary interest.

“But I took chemistry this year and it turned out to be my favorite subject so that made me know that I’m making the right decision,” she said.

Pinckard has a busy schedule at PLAS. In addition to her classroom studies, she is a varsity cheerleader, basketball player, Student Government Association vice president, a member of Mentor Matters, Government Club, Math Team, National Honor Society and Beta Club.

“My senior year will be busy but I’m looking forward to it and to representing Troy anytime that I’m invited,” she said. “That will be a real honor for me.”