 After being born with a cleft lip and palate, Tiffany Paul has set out to make a difference one smile at a time. For this week's Community Spotlight, Sarah Winkelman sat down with Tiffany to hear how she plans to use her Miss Central Lakes title to create awareness. I was not a big smile, that's for sure. No matter what the circumstances were after being born with a bilateral cleft lip and palate, Tiffany Paul was smiling her way through. I went without surgeries for I think a few months, I want to say, and so I went through that period with a gaping lip, basically no top lip at all, and so my palate was open and my nose had no structure at all. After nearly 15 surgeries structuring Tiffany's nose, upper lip and jaw, she called the children's hospital her second home while growing up. Normally every summer, I would go to children's hospital in Minneapolis. Through all of that time in the hospital, Tiffany says what helped her through was her faith. I think through that, he's been able to, I believe, speak to me in that way and show me that I am more, I am more than what this world will tell me that I am. I'm priceless. A message she reminded herself many times when things became difficult. In person and online, I would get bullied. I got called the monster, I got called so many different things, and I took that to heart and I started to believe that I am just like I'm not worth it, I'm not pretty enough. But now she has moved past that and is ready to share her knowledge and create awareness. Well, it's kind of a joke that I do, but I tell them I was just born with some assembly required. A story the Crosby native is happy to share as Miss Central Lakes United States. For a while I had a feeding tube and so I have a scar from that and with I had speech therapy as well. So there are some times where I still have little things in my speech, but it's a lot better than what I used to be. But it's something that she is happy makes her stand out in the competition. It's really amazing. I love when people will stop and listen. Where Tiffany will remind you that every smile is beautiful. Reporting in Brainerd, Sarah Winkelman, Lakeland News. Tiffany will move on to compete for Miss Minnesota in March. We wish her well. Certainly do. If you've enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland Public Television.