Miss Missouri Courtney Rowe visited Mexico Aug. 6 to prepare for the job interview of a lifetime – the title of Miss America.

Rowe will head to Orlando in September for the Miss America Pageant where she will compete against 52 women in five phases of competition: personal interviews, on-stage question, talent, fitness and evening gown.

Each phase is worth 20% of the competitors’ overall score and the personal interview is where they will make their first impressions.

Alice Leonatti, executive director of the Miss Missouri pageant, said the judges are instructed not to consider a competitor’s interviews when they are judging the other phases of competition, but the bias can seep through regardless.

Rowe will have a total of eight minutes to impress the judges including a 30-second introduction and 30 seconds of closing remarks.

Judges are allowed to ask Rowe anything – questions about her community service initiative, fun facts about herself, opinions on legislation and anything in between are all fair game.

Lewis Melahn, one of the mock-interview judges, shared with Rowe the most outrageous question he ever heard a contestant have to answer:

“When the snow is gone, where does the white go?”

Through multiple rounds of mock-interviews and coaching from Leonatti, Rowe will continue to perfect her personal interview so she can make a lasting impression on the judges.