Miss America Betty Cantrell has always had ‘down to earth’ personality

Before becoming Miss America, Betty Cantrell started with humble beginnings, performing in her hometown church choir and school drama productions.

“We knew very early on that Betty had a gift,” Emily Dermatas, Cantrell’s Sunday School teacher and choir director at the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church in Macon, said Monday.

When Cantrell’s family began attending the church, some people referred to them as “the Von Trapp” family because of what seemed like an inherent talent within the family to sing, dance and entertain.

Before Cantrell’s first year at Mount de Sales Academy, choir teacher Donna Washburn said Dermatas told her, “You have really got something special coming to you.”

When Cantrell arrived, Washburn said, she recognized her potential and talent as well.

Throughout Cantrell’s years at the private school in Macon, Washburn said, “she just developed into such a wonderful performer. She worked so hard. She was so dedicated to her craft. She was just so passionate about it.”

From Greek church hymns to country songs and opera, Cantrell can sing virtually anything.

“Every time she performs, I’m just amazed at her passion and her ability to connect with the people she’s singing for,” Washburn said.

Father John Stefero, the presiding priest of Holy Cross, said what impresses him the most is how “honest, direct and sincere” Cantrell is.

“When we had the Greek festival,” Dermatas said, “Betty would dance, sing, but then if you needed Betty to come work on the food line or pick up trash ... she was willing to do whatever she needed to do.”

John Freeman, Cantrell’s drama teacher at Mount de Sales, recalls Cantrell as an “amazing kid.”

Freeman said he remembers Cantrell joining his theater program in the eighth grade. She had a “knack” for being able to pick up a role after a single reading.

“Everything’s memorable with her because she was always there,” he said. “I was with her every day at rehearsal.”

While Cantrell’s personality was “bubbly, vivacious” and “jumping around” off the stage, when it came time to work, she became serious and focused, he said.

In certain drama competitions, Freeman remembers comments from judges such as “she does not come across as a high school student.”

“Our life was theater, and that’s what we did,” Freeman said. “That was the way I knew her. And to her growth, from eighth grade to her senior year of high school where she played Dorothy in ‘The Wizard of Oz’ ... it was amazing.”

He said she played the role as well as Judy Garland.

As for her Miss America performance, Freeman said Cantrell “owned that stage. It was her. ... I think that was probably a lot of why she won.”

To contact writer David Schick, call 744-4382 or find him on Twitter@davidcschick.

This story was originally published September 14, 2015 at 10:29 PM with the headline "Miss America Betty Cantrell has always had ‘down to earth’ personality ."