Her exercise regiment is set, her wardrobe has been decided and the clock is ticking toward Miss America 2016.

For Laura Lee Lewis, the countdown to her next crown is on.

“I’m so honored to bring this crown to Miss America,” Lewis said to those attending the Vicksburg Kiwanis Club Tuesday. “I’m crossing my fingers; I’m praying. Let’s hope that I can bring the Miss America crown back where it belongs. I hope that I can be the fifth woman to do that for Mississippi. I’m going to work so hard. I’m going to try my best.”

Lewis said she has been preparing for her next step since her June 25 state title crowning by spending time at the gym, running through the National Military Park, staying up to date on the latest news and participating in mock interviews, splitting her time between Vicksburg and the Jackson area.

“I have a great team helping me get ready,” she said. “This job—and it is a job—can be very stressful and very hard, but it is the most rewarding experience I’ve ever had. I have fantastic prep team keeping me grounded and focused as well as keeping myself grounded and focused. I want to do my best at Miss America, so I am doing all I can.”

Lewis will be leaving two weeks before the competition begins on September 11, she said, but has already gone through the draft, picking Alpha 11 as her position in one of the three groups that divide the 52 girls competing for the even larger crown.

“I won Miss Mississippi with position 11, so I think it’s my lucky number,” she said.

Lewis added her wardrobe for September has already been decided and with that out of the way, she can focus on other preparations, attending events and focusing on her affiliations, including the Children’s Miracle Network, and her platform, Mentoring Matters.

“I want Mentoring Matters to be effective across the nation,” she said of her platform.