Beneath the Crown

The pageant world is a very niche world that some people think is just for girls to dress pretty and do nothing else, but I'm here to prove that your vision is all twisted. Growing up, before I did pageants, I thought it was very surface level. I thought it was all about looks and who the prettiest girl in the event was. My friend ended up talking me into doing one, and I'm here to tell you that what you, and even I, have been thinking about pageants is all wrong.

Going into my first pageant, I didn't know what to expect, but it wasn't what I got. My first time competing was in "Miss Altus Teen" as a teen contestant. Doing a pageant was so out of my comfort zone, but I thought I might as well do it! The first thing I attended was the first day of practice. I walked in and didn't know anyone. I stood off to the side until a girl approached me, and I thought to myself, "This isn't so bad after all." That day, we took pictures around town with our sponsors and then started practicing. The girls were so sweet and the environment was absolutely amazing, which surprised me because I didn't expect it to be that way at all. I went in expecting people to be a little rude and prissy, and I got the exact opposite. The girls ended up being my favorite part of the whole experience. Not only were they sweet, but the sisterhood I felt was truly something I'll never forget.

The biggest misconception is that pageantry is just about a crown and nothing else. It's easy to say that if you don't know anything about pageants, but there is always a cause behind it. Every pageant you compete in requires you to have a Community Service Initiative (CSI), and from year to year it varies based on whatever the titleholder's cause is. On pageant day, you have an interview consisting of questions about current world events, about yourself, and about your initiative. You are asked whether you were actively advocating for your title and, if so, how you were doing that, and if you were to win the title, how you would continue advocating for it. It's never just about a crown; it's about how you use the crown for your cause. I think it's a really cool opportunity and a chance to get your initiative out there. Not only are you bringing awareness to your cause, but you also get to work hands-on to make your vision come to life. On top of that, contestants spend countless hours preparing speeches, practicing talent acts, fundraising, volunteering, and developing their platform. It's essentially a part-time job.

The last stereotype is that you have to be a certain type of girl in order to do pageants. It is called a beauty pageant, but by no means does that refer strictly to outer beauty. As I mentioned above, there are practices, community involvement, and extensive preparation involved. It does take a certain kind of person, just not the kind that is snobby and rude. That is not the type of person who does pageants. It takes a kind soul, a patient spirit, and a loving heart to do something like this. It is about your inner beauty far more than your outer beauty.

As someone who knows both worlds, before and after pageants, I understand these misconceptions because I once held them myself. I walked into my first pageant thinking I had it all figured out, and I walked out with a completely different perspective on what pageantry truly is. It is always good to keep an open mind before making assumptions about something you have never experienced. You might just surprise yourself the way I surprised myself, and find something that changes your life for the better.

Pageantry gave me things I never expected. It gave me confidence I did not know I was missing, friendships I did not know I needed, and a purpose I did not know I was searching for. It pushed me outside of my comfort zone and showed me that growth lives on the other side of fear. Before pageants, I would have never walked into a room full of strangers and felt at home. Now I can. Before pageants, I would have never stood in front of a panel of judges and spoken passionately about something I believed in. Now I can. That is what pageantry does for you when you give it a real chance.

So the next time you hear the words "beauty pageant" and your mind goes straight to tiaras and sashes, I want you to think a little deeper. Think about the girl who spent months preparing her platform to bring awareness to a cause she cares about. Think about the friendships formed, the confidence built, and the lives changed. Think about the girl who walked in not knowing a single soul and walked out with a sisterhood she will carry with her forever. Pageantry is so much more than what it looks like on the outside, and sometimes the best things in life are the ones we almost talked ourselves out of trying.