Miss America, as the song goes, is your ideal and the dream of a million little girls.

But for another year, at least, she won't be someone who is familiar with Discover Mills and I-85 traffic.

(ENLARGE)

Kate Michael of Gwinnett County represented the District of Columbia in the 2007 Miss America Pageant.

Jae C. Hong/STF (ENLARGE)

Miss District of Columbia and Parkview High School graduate, Kate Michael, walks in a swimsuit on the stage during a rehearsal for the 2007 Miss America Pageant at the Aladdin hotel-casino in Las Vegas on Friday, Jan. 26.

ON THE WEB • www.missamerica.org • www.katemichael.org • kate-michael.blogspot.org

Kate Michael, a Parkview High School graduate and the reigning Miss District of Columbia, did not advance to the final 10 semifinalists at the Miss America competition Monday night in Las Vegas.

"We're kind of sad she didn't make it, but we're proud of her anyway," said Keri Michael, Kate's sister-in-law.

Michael, 24, earned the trip to the Miss America competition by winning the Miss D.C. pageant in July. She lives in Washington, where she is a research assistant in U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson's (R-Ga.) office. The contestant also is earning master's degrees in business and government from Johns Hopkins University. In 2005, The Hill newspaper, which covers Congress, named her "The Most Beautiful Person on Capitol Hill."

"She's very intelligent," said Isakson's press secretary, Sheridan Watson. "She does a great job for the senator."

Michael started entering pageants after graduating from the University of Georgia in 2003, Keri Michael said. She was named Miss Gwinnett in 2004.

Michael participated in the preliminary evening gown, swimsuit, interview and talent competitions over the weekend. She performed a jazz dance for her talent. Her platform is literacy.

On Monday night's broadcast, Michael appeared at the start of the show, introducing herself along with the 51 other contestants.

"She's glad she did it, and I'm glad she did it, too," Keri Michael said.

At Parkview, Kate Michael was a member of the track and dance teams, her sister-in-law said.

Miss Georgia, Amanda Kozak, was second runner-up Monday night.