In the next few months, Ashley Layfield's travel plans could include visiting all the Neighbor Islands, the Mainland, Japan and even China in her new role as Miss Hawaii. But first, there's something she has to take care of.

The 21-year-old Kane'ohe native, who has never traveled outside the United States, says getting a passport is definitely on her "No. 1 list of things to do."

Layfield was crowned Miss Hawaii 2007 Friday night after edging out 13 other contestants from Hilo to Kapa'a to Kaunakakai. Since then, she's been experiencing whirlwind days of doing interviews, appearing on local morning news shows and spending time with her family, who just arrived in town.

"It was surreal the first couple of days," she said. "I just feel very honored and thankful. It really is a dream come true."

Layfield will represent Hawai'i in the national Miss America pageant, tentatively set for January. Until then, she is taking a year off from the University of Hawai'i to travel and promote her personal platform: encouraging a well-rounded education through the performing arts.

Besides promoting her own platform, Miss Hawaii also acts as the official hostess of the state of Hawai'i and may be sent to the Mainland or other countries, such as Japan, on behalf of the Hawai'i Tourism Authority or the Hawai'i Visitors and Convention Bureau.

"It is such an honor to be a representative of my state and of my home," Layfield said. "I am really proud."

She'll also start looking ahead to the official national platform of the Miss America Organization and the Children's Miracle Network. "I get to blend my personal platform with their platform," she said. "That will be really exciting."

This was Layfield's second appearance as a contestant in the Miss Hawaii competition. She was the third runner-up in last year's event. And she is no stranger to the local stage, having gained attention for roles in productions like "Cats" and "A Chorus Line."

At performances with 24-VII Danceforce, which frequently appears at the annual event, Layfield was exposed to the pageant, and that inspired her to enter the competition, she said, naming former Miss Hawaii winners Denby Dung and Malika Dudley as role models.

Layfield is a graduate of Castle High School and just completed her junior year at UH, where she is studying art and American studies. She was also a Rainbow Dancer and taught dance on weekends, most recently at a seven-week program called "Heartbeat," which trained Special Olympic athletes for a dance performance that took place earlier this month.

Although Layfield will put her own dance career on hold for now, she will get to see some of her choreography at 24-VII's bi-annual dance concert June 29.

She hopes to pursue a master's in graphic design after graduation but is open to alternative paths her new role may present.

"I want to see where Miss Hawaii takes me," she said.

Since the start of the Miss Hawaii pageant in 1948, Hawaii has produced two Miss Americas, three top-five finalists and 17 semi-finalists.