Some Harvard students win scholar-ships that come with a plaque. Quincy House resident Laura M. Lawless '00 wins scholarships that come with a tiara.

And copious responsibilities too, said the reigning Miss Freetown, Mass., who competed in the 60th Anniversary Miss Massachusetts Pageant on June 11.

She came in sixth at the state level and won the talent portion of the competition, but the responsibilities of her Freetown title remain.

"The pageant days of when you rode in the back of a limousine are over," Lawless said. "It's now much more a commitment to public service and community activities."

Lawless, who is a resident of Flushing, N.Y., said she'll spend much of the summer traveling back to the Bay State for public appearances and mentoring sessions with youth. She was able to compete in the Massachusetts competitions because Freetown's pageant is open to out-of-state students.

Lawless said that her experiences on the road are the best part of the Miss America pageant system.

"I get to meet one-on-one with students and talk with them about their fears and hopes," Lawless said.

At her speaking engagements, Lawless also promotes her platform of mental health awareness, speaking to patients at nursing homes, their families and children.

These responsibilities keep her busy.

"Out of a seven days a week, I'm gone doing appearances four days," she said. "I really wanted to have the time to do everything, but I have so many responsibilities with the pageant title I had to choose not to write a thesis--which I'm still not exactly okay with."

But the scholarship money she earns helps make up for some of the disappointment.

In total, she has won over $1,000, all of which has gone to Harvard.

"I will never see a check passed into my hand [from the pageants]," she said "It goes directly to tuition."

Lawless isn't the first contestant to have her pageant winnings go to Harvard. In fact, she said, Crimson women--including the outgoing Miss Massachusetts, Elizabeth E. Hancock '00--have dominated the competition throughout the past decade.

And it was Hancock who first suggested that Lawless try out for a local contest in the Miss America system.