#PageantryThinks

Q: Have you received negative comments at any point in your pageant career? What were some of those comments?

A: Of course! My grandmother was one of the fiercest opponents of pageantry. After the first year I competed, she said “Now that you’ve had that experience, you should be done. It says in the Bible that vanity is a sin.” It was so frustrating to hear my own grandmother disregard pageantry because she thought it was solely a competition of physical beauty. For me, pageantry was a way to get involved in my community, to make friends, have a reason to perform piano again, and develop my self-confidence. Regardless of what she thought, I kept competing but I kept her reminder of vanity close to me. I made sure to focus any recognition I received as a titleholder towards encouraging volunteerism, and sharing with others the opportunities for scholarship and personal growth within the Miss America Organization. Prior to becoming involved in pageantry, I didn’t engage in any consistent volunteer work. After receiving my first title, I began volunteering weekly at a community center in Baltimore City to help underprivileged children and families. I started the Food Resource Program to provide a monthly free bag of groceries to low-income families. When I shared stories of my volunteer work with my grandmother, she was thrilled. I also told her that my inspiration for volunteering came from pageantry. Her opinion of the program has since changed, especially now that she realizes how multi-dimensional the pageant truly is and what a fantastic impact it has had both on my life and the lives of others.

Q: Do you think there is a negative stereotype associated with pageantry? What do you think causes these stereotypes to exist?

A: Unfortunately there are more negative stereotypes associated with pageantry than there are positive ones. In fact, I can’t think of a positive pageant stereotype. All stereotypes—regardless of their relationship to pageantry—are generalizations that we make about groups of people based on our experiences, the media, and what we hear from other people. One of the most infamous stereotypes about pageant girls: They’re dumb. Why do we think that? Remember the video of Miss South Carolina 2007 Teen USA’s flubbed on stage question? You probably don’t even need to look it up because it went viral—every media outlet showed clips of it and today it has nearly 62 MILLION views on YouTube. Although the gaffe was a mere 30 seconds long, its impact on the world’s perception of pageantry has been interminable. Unfortunately this isn’t the only instance of pageant titleholders making the press for a negative reason. So long as the public’s sole exposure to pageantry is the mistakes made by a handful of young women competing, why should we expect their opinions of pageantry to be higher? There needs to be more media coverage of the numerous positive things done by titleholders and the impact that pageantry can have on young women and their communities.

Q: What benefits do you think pageants offer to contestants? What skills can someone obtain by competing in a pageant?

A: The most easily quantifiable benefit of pageantry (particularly in the Miss America Organization) is scholarship. Miss America is the largest provider of scholarships to young women—that, in itself, is a huge benefit. But the program offers you more than money to fund your education, it gives you the skills to excel in your future. The Miss America Organization provides opportunities for women to get involved in service, to practice public speaking and interview skills, to perform on a stage in front of her peers. For me, it has provided all of these as well as motivation to become physically fit, a sense of worldliness, and a strong group of role models and friends which I found in my fellow contestants and the program’s volunteers.

Q: How have the skills you obtained in pageants helped you outside of pageantry? What type of situations were you able to utilize these skills?

A: When I was 19 years old, I interviewed to work as an intern in the Image Collection of the National Geographic Society. It had been my dream since early high school to intern there. I remember walking into the interview knowing that I had nothing to worry about—after all, I had already had the toughest interview of my life at Miss Maryland that summer. There was nothing that the interviewer could ask that would rattle me and, as a bonus, I knew I wouldn’t be asked about politics or controversial social topics. The interview went smoothly and I was hired on the spot.

Q: What accomplishments have you acquired from pageantry?

A: One of the accomplishments that I am most proud of is the founding of the Food Resource Program at a community center in Baltimore City. After volunteering in a low-income community (located in one of the many food deserts in Baltimore) for two years, I realized that there was a need for residents to have access to healthy food. I partnered with food banks in the surrounding area to provide low-income families with a free monthly bag of groceries. Although I’ve since moved from Baltimore City, the program has continued and I’m looking forward to starting a branch of it in Boston!

Q: I see that you’re currently in school, what are you studying?

A: I’m a first-year PhD student at Harvard University in Sociocultural Anthropology. My dissertation research was actually inspired by the service work that I began as a local titleholder in the Miss America system. When I began volunteering with my platform in Baltimore City, I witnessed the abject poverty which consumed neighborhoods only fifteen minutes away from my home. Working with low-income families and seeing their struggle firsthand empowered me to want to make a change. Now, I’m conducting research on inner-city poverty and violence and looking for ways that anthropological work can be used to influence urban policy.

Q: What are your future career aspirations?

A: Once I’m finished my PhD I see myself working for a non-profit organization or research institute to improve the lives of marginalized populations in the United States. My goal as a researcher is to produce work that gives voice to populations who have historically been silenced, to listen to their needs, and to advocate for systemic change.  

Q: What would you tell someone who was interested in competing in a pageant?

A: Do it! There has never once been a moment where I have regretted being involved in pageants. It’s a great experience and there is so much to be gained by giving it a shot. I know I surprised myself by getting out on stage in a swimsuit, playing piano for the first time in six years, and answering tough interview questions—and once I did it, I was so proud of what I had accomplished. Pageantry can be incredibly rewarding but (as a new friend reminded me) you can’t win if you don’t play. And truly, everyone who participates in pageants wins in some regard, even if you don’t walk away with a crown (it’s cliché, I know!). You can earn scholarships, make friends, get involved in service, grow professionally and personally, or even cross an item off your bucket list. It’s a great experience. If you’re on the fence or have questions, feel free to reach out to me personally through my public Facebook page.

Q: How would you respond to negative comments/stereotypes about the pageant industry?