Meet natural beauty Beth Williams, our Playmate of the Month for August 2012. She’s on the tall side – 5’9” – with newly-blonde hair and warm brown eyes. “I was raised on a dairy farm in Athens County, rural Ohio,” she says, “and I’m a real country girl. I spent my childhood outdoors – I played sports after school, went four-wheeling, and my dad took me hunting and fishing.” Beth studied at Ohio University, where she did a double major in health administration and long-term care. She went on to earn a certificate in gerontology and a master’s degree in health administration.

“I’d like to get my doctorate,” she says, “and I plan to use my earnings as a model to open an assisted living facility for the elderly.”Beth modeled for a few major brands – Macy’s, the Limited and Coquette lingerie – before she got up the courage to submit her portfolio to Playboy. “I was really nervous,” she says, laughing. “It was my first time posing nude.” There’s a first time for everything, and her first time wouldn’t be her last – she was featured in College Girls, Nudes and Lingerie issues of Special Editions, made Cybergirl of the Week in January 2010, and later that year was voted Special Editions Model of the Year.

Following these successes, Beth was asked to test for Playmate, and Hugh Hefner hand-selected her to be Miss August. “It’s a dream come true,” she says. “Playboy is the highest standard of beauty, and I wouldn’t pose nude for any other magazine.”In addition to her duties as Playmate, Beth works as a brand representative for YOR Health supplements, with the goal of educating seniors about health and nutrition. She makes her home on 38 acres in her native Athens County, where she tends to fruit and vegetable gardens and a well-stocked fishing pond. When she’s not working, she spends her time with her friends, family, boyfriend and two Yorkies, Kiki and Penelope. She loves comedies on DVD, cookie dough straight out of the bowl and a few beers at the end of a long day. “You wouldn’t know it,” she says, “but I play a mean game of flip cup.” Beth’s got small-town morals and values, but she’s no fool – she’s milking her gig with Playboy for all it’s worth.

“Summer is my favorite season!” exclaims Miss August Beth Williams. “I love to live off the land, garden and bake, so it’s the perfect time for me. I can run outside and grab some basil for bruschetta or blueberries for a pie.” The consummate country girl, Beth spends each June, July and August on her 38-acre spread in rural Ohio, which features a fishing pond, a vegetable and herb garden and a newly planted array of berries and nuts. “Living out in the sticks we have to create our own fun. My friends and I love to go tubing down the Ohio River, drive around in four-wheelers, build campfires and go ‘cabrewing’ – what we call taking out a canoe and drinking beer.”

But the 25-year-old also possesses a hardworking, serious side. She has earned two bachelor’s degrees from Ohio University (in health-service administration and long-term-care administration), along with a master’s degree in health care administration. “I might go back and get a doctorate so I can teach. For now, however, I want to save money from my modeling jobs to open a nursing home.” She plans to make it a family business. “My mom and aunts are nurses, and my sister is a physical therapist. The idea would be to have all of them work there with me.” In the meantime, she’s savoring the steamy perks of being Miss August. “A friend recently told me that August is the best month to be a Playmate for two reasons – it has 31 days, and it’s the hottest month of all. I thought, Hmm, I’ll take that!”