Mrs. S.C. prepares for national pageant

Managing her time and acquiring better organizational skills have been some of the biggest benefits for Laura Kaminer in her reign as Mrs. South Carolina.

"I've learned to make a lot of lists," said Mrs. Kaminer, who heads to Las Vegas today to compete in the Mrs. United States pageant Saturday through Wednesday.

The North Augusta woman said she has learned to juggle the important areas of her life.

Married to Woody Kaminer, a Columbia County sheriff's deputy, Mrs. Kaminer has two sons, Bayle and Blake, and runs her own business making handbags.

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She's also had to honor her commitment as Mrs. South Carolina, making out-of-town trips for public appearances, community service and speaking engagements.

Some days, she said, she wakes up and determines that "today, I'm not Mrs. South Carolina, I'm a mommy, I'm a wife. "My husband is my biggest supporter, but he wants dinner. There are many nights he did not have dinner."

Even with the hectic schedule, Mrs. Kaminer has found being Mrs. South Carolina has had its pluses.

She recently spoke to a group of teenage girls at a leadership conference at Columbia College in Columbia.

She also worked with the Make-A-Wish foundation to help fulfill a teenage cystic fibrosis patient's wish of competing in a pageant, and has worked on a Habitat for Humanity project.

Mrs. Kaminer has had to spend time getting ready for the pageant, keep in shape and prepare dialogue for the competition segments.

Being busy the past few weeks, Mrs. Kaminer said she hasn't had time to think about what it might mean for her to win the pageant.

"I want to do the best I can there and not lose my values and character," she said. "If that's good enough to win, then we'll go from there."