MARIETTA — On Wednesday, Miss Georgia Emily Cook will depart Marietta for Las Vegas to compete for the title of Miss America on Jan. 30. What makes 23-year-old Cook interesting is that her journey to the crown has been atypical for a contestant.

If she wins Miss America, Cook will have to choose between becoming America’s reigning pageant queen and one of a few hundred incoming first-year students at the University of Georgia School of Law. However, Cook is resolute about her future. Basically, she says, law school can wait; you really only get one shot at Miss America.

“They were great. They sent me an e-mail granting my deferral before I even asked for it,” Cook said of the law school. “They heard I was Miss Georgia, and literally, within a day it was in their newsletter.”

The Miss American Pageant will air live at 8 p.m. Jan. 30 on TLC.

Cook will attempt to be only the second Miss America from Georgia since Neva Langley Fickling of Macon was crowned in 1953. She is the fifth Miss Cobb County winner to compete.

Cook was first crowned 2009 Miss Cobb in August 2008. She became 2009 Miss Georgia on June 28, 2009, less than 24 hours after coming in second place. But when the winner chose to step down, the state crown automatically went to Cook.

That episode was just the latest in a string of unexpected happenstances for the Kennesaw Mountain High School graduate.

Unlike many beauty queens, competing in pageants wasn’t a lifelong ambition for Cook. She didn’t compete in her first one until she was a sophomore at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Fla., where she got a degree in music. It was during college that she unexpectedly became a regional semifinalist for a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship.

“There are some girls who from the age of 4 have been watching Miss America. Somehow, in between playing outside and playing sports, I missed out on that,” Cook said.

“But, what I’ve found is that everything that I did up until this point has led me here. So I’m really proud of how far I’ve made it and I’m really excited to see what will happen. Because I think I will be a great Miss America,” she said. “Although I wasn’t a girl who was 4 years old hoping to be Miss America, I’m now a 23-year-old who really hopes to be Miss America.”

Cook said she has been well prepared to compete for the title by a good preparation team, whose members hail from five different states.

She will be donning a black two-piece swimsuit by Winnwear Designs in competition. She was silent about her evening gown, which is traditionally kept secret beforehand. Cook will still play the oboe for the talent portion, as she did at Miss Cobb and Miss Georgia pageants. However, she’ll be performing “Piano Prelude No. 1” by George Gershwin, for the first time on stage.

“I told everyone my goal for going to Miss America, and playing the oboe, is to make the oboe cool,” she said. “I figured George Gershwin could give me the best chance possible.”

Breast cancer awareness in young women remains Cook’s platform issue.

“I just try to put a younger face on the fight, and I think I’ve been pretty successful in that,” she said. “I’ve gotten really active in the breast cancer community of Georgia and teamed up with a couple of different groups, like the Young Survival Coaliton and Bikers Against Breast Cancer, which has been a fun group to be a part of.”

A host of activities are planned for contestants in Las Vegas, including a fashion show, a gondola ride and go-kart racing. Cook will be there for 11 days. She said she has three, separate outfits for each day.

“I’m hoping to make it out there with around six pieces of luggage,” she said. “Last year’s Miss Georgia had 15, so I’m hoping to go for under double digits.”

As many as 30 family members and friends will be there to cheer her on, including her younger brother, Harrison Cook, and parents, Annie and Randy Cook, who is CEO of WellStar Cobb Hospital. They celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary the day before Miss America is crowned. Members of the Miss Cobb and Miss Georgia pageant committees will also be attendance.

Mansfield Bias, president of the Miss Georgia Pageant Corporation, said contestants from Georgia have performed well in recent years, placing in the top 10 the past five years. “Emily is an incredibly beautiful, intelligent young lady and we certainly would like to her see bring the title back,” he said.

“It’s incredibly exciting to have our Miss Cobb County have a shot at the Miss America crown,” said Miss Cobb pageant spokesman Chuck Fallis. “We think she’s going to be Miss America.”

On Jan. 26, Cook will perform here talent. She answers questions from judges on Jan. 27. On Jan. 28, Cook will compete in the swimsuit and evening gown competitions. She is off on Jan. 29 and will vie for the crown on the final day of the pageant on Jan. 30.