Cassie Roper

You may have seen Cassie Roper 15 years ago, when her father, the chief of staff for former Rep. Joe Scarborough (R-Fla.), brought her to the office.

{mosads}“I spent a lot of my childhood prancing around the halls of Cannon,” she said.

Now she’s back, as a legislative correspondent for Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.). But that’s just one of her careers: Roper’s been bitten by the pageant bug.

The 2014 Miss Mid-Atlantic Supranational, Roper began competing at 18 when the director of the organization she volunteered at suggested she represent it in Miss Maryland USA. Roper says she appreciates what pageants have brought to her life — beyond a collection of evening gowns.

“It’s fostered my love of community service and has gotten me really involved in my community,” she said.

And, of course, does she wear the crown?

“I only wear it occasionally,” she said with a laugh.

— Ashley Perks