Like something out of the movies, Rima Fakih sold her Ford Taurus to pay for her entry in to the Miss Michigan pageant, and then won the competition.  She didn’t stop there either - winning the Miss USA Pageant next.

“Like Shaq says, ‘I feel good (in a deep voice),” says Fakih, interviewed while receiving the key to the city of her hometown Dearborn, Michigan.

Unlike most top level beauty pageant contestants, Rima entered her first beauty pageant later in life, at age 19, with no formal pageant training.

“Actually, I think I had a stereotype about pageants up until my mom wanted me to go from tomboy girl, to doing my first pageant, and she used the idea of ‘hey you get a scholarship, this is a good thing.’”

She says, “I have always wanted to be an actress, and that was little Rima, always entertaining my family.  Acting was something I always wanted to do and I always practiced, compared to pageants.”

Soon after winning the Miss USA crown, and the Google searches temporarily subsided, Rima was whisked off on an international tour.  This is rather unusual for   Miss USA whose tours are typically national.

“Well the fact that Miss USA is getting invited to travel internationally is an honor of itself, because normally, Miss USA stays within the United States,” says Rima.

On the road, she had the opportunity to host the USA Pavillion in Shanghai, China at the World Expo.  “That was my first time hosting too!” she says.  “It was funny, the USA Pavillion concert, where I got to introduce Harry Connick Jr., and the USC Trojan Marching Band. It was just so fun, and I got to meet someone like Yue-Sai Kan, who is an immensely, successful business woman and TV icon in China, and also the honorable Madeleine Albright.”

Rima Fakih is obviously being positioned as an important ambassador for the United States, on the heels of her international tour.  Meanwhile, the Miss Universe pagaent, is just around the corner.

“You know me, I don’t stop. I reach for the stars, I’m bringing that crown home to the United States and to Michigan, and pray for me, and watch me guys, August 23rd,” says Fakih.

Rima’s near term plans are fixed.  Speaking quietly, she shares some of her longer term goals and dreams.

“My ultimate dream is being an actress.  My ultimate goal is being my own entrepreneur, graduating law school and having my own business… you always have your goal that you know you can do -- but you always have that dream.  You know what I mean?”

Fakih is excited about the growing film industry in Michigan, and has even auditioned for one of the film productions.

“When I won Miss USA, they move you right to N.Y. City.  One thing I am proud to say -- I’m proud to be Miss Michigan, and Miss USA and to be from here. The fact that we are bringing the film industry to Michigan – I mean thank you, thank you, Governer Granholm, for doing that.  It’s a great opportunity - not only for our economy and our state, but for our talented individuals that we have here in Michigan.  I think we have a lot of talent.”

She lowers her voice again and says, “And right now, Real Steel is being shot here, and ah… the rumor is - I MIGHT be in that movie,” she says. She leans in and whispers to the camera, “please!”

Rima is being heralded as the first Arab-American Miss USA winner, representing Dearborn, Michigan, the city with the highest concentration of Arab-Americans in the state.

“When I competed for Miss USA, I never thought that winning the crown would also include winning something like holding the title of the first Arab-American to win Miss USA,” she said.   “Recently someone told me ‘You know, Arab-Americans have been so afraid post 9/11 to be proud of who they are -  to travel, to do things.  You gave them a different opinion,’ and that’s a great honor, ya know.”