Miss Teen USA K. Lee Graham ready to relinquish her crown

On a golden summer afternoon in mid-July, K. Lee Graham floated on the blue waters of Lake Murray, noting that on this day, “Paddleboards are my main mode of transportation.”

The 18-year-old Chapin resident and Miss Teen USA had no impending hair appointments, formal galas or photo shoots that required a full face of make-up. She wasn’t modeling her swimsuit for anyone, or worrying about the pageant-readiness of her tan. She was enjoying a relaxing day at home.

After a year fulfilling her Miss Teen USA duties — traveling around the country as an ambassador for the umbrella Miss Universe Organization, volunteering with various charities and speaking about her self-confidence campaign, “Live Beautifully,” all while living in New York City with Miss USA Nia Sanchez and Miss Universe Gabriela Isler — Graham is back in South Carolina for the last few weeks of her reign.

In August, she’ll hang up her heels as Miss Teen USA, when she will crown her successor at the 33rd Miss Teen USA pageant in Nassau, Bahamas.

“This year has been incredible, but one year is just enough time,” Graham said. “I will miss a lot of the experiences I’ve had as Miss Teen USA. But I’m excited for the new girl” who is going to have the title.

She won’t miss winters in New York. Or wearing heels 24/7. “I’m definitely more of a running shorts, T-shirt and sneakers girl. That was me before the pageant and it’s going to be me as soon as I get off that stage,” she said.

In addition to being tall and gorgeous, Graham comes across as goofy and likeable in person and on social media. She’ll post a photo of herself in a floor-length backless gown one day and in a Gamecock football jersey the next. She’ll tweet about working an event with the United Services Organization and then about her grandma’s lemon bar recipe, and then about finding an ice cream stain on her shirt after working out (“#theirony”).

Born Katherine Lee, K. Lee (“Kaylee) is the second oldest of five children. The abbreviation stuck after her youngest sister couldn’t quite pronounce her full name. On her website, Graham says if she ever becomes a rapper, she’ll go as K-dot-Lee. “Until then, I’ll just use the moniker for my blog name.” She blogs about typical girl topics (a love of leggings, fitness tips), but also promotes feeling beautiful from the inside out.

When Graham won the crown last August, besting Vaeda Mann of Mississippi, her plans of a traditional senior year at Chapin High went out the window. Yet she stayed on top of her studies, even returning to Chapin High shortly after winning for a surprise visit for the annual senior class photo. Graham then finished her coursework in December and returned to Chapin to walk with her class at graduation this summer.

“The biggest thing I learned is that you can’t plan out life as much as you want to,” Graham said of her Miss Teen USA experience. “Every day is a new opportunity and comes with new choices you can’t anticipate.”

Graham’s advice for her successor is to stay grounded. “Things will come at you very fast, but hold on to your morals and personal beliefs,” she said. “And enjoy every minute, because it goes by so fast.”

After she hands over her crown, Graham will attend the University of South Carolina in the Honors College. She plans to major in international business with a focus on marketing. And like any diehard Gamecock, she is excited for football season to start.

But don’t expect pearls and little black dresses from this beauty queen. Graham’s game day attire is more likely to include a jersey and black facepaint, she said. “Less cute, more hardcore.”

And definitely no heels.

This story was originally published July 25, 2015 at 11:26 PM with the headline "Miss Teen USA K. Lee Graham ready to relinquish her crown."