Corner Post Editorial —
Get to know the woman behind the crown
by Abby Grimmett, posted Nov. 29, 2007
You see that famous stiff wave, the tiara sparkling and a picture-perfect smile shines toward you. For the past 10 years of my life, I have been this girl, or some form of her. I compete in pageants in the Miss America Organization. I know some girls who fit the stereotype of a “beauty queen,” but I know from experience that most, like me, are women of substance.
I work hard to prepare for each pageant I compete in, and it’s not something everyone can even do. It is required of me that I am up-to-date with current events and political issues and that I can market myself and plan my legacy. This hobby has allowed me to meet hundreds of people, travel all over the state of Missouri and has awarded me with more than $3,000 in scholarship money.
I would guess you are already judging me at this point. Stereotypes of beauty queens are most likely running through your head. Perhaps you are thinking along the same lines as Angela Haberberger, a sophomore at MU studying early childhood education.
“When I think of a pageant girl, all that comes to mind is that she is tall, skinny, unintelligent, has blonde hair and blue eyes; she [tans in a tanning bed] and has big boobs,” she said.
I will tell you right now that I do not view myself in such ways. I’m a 5-foot-7-inch size eight, I have brunette hair and I only seasonally tan. I’ve always done well in school and enjoy riding four-wheelers and playing in the dirt on my farm. After competing in this system for 10 years, I know that most of the girls are not stereotypical “beauty queens.” My story is how being involved in the Miss America system has had an extremely positive impact on my life, and it has transformed me from a shy, self-conscious 9-year-old to an accomplished, confident and talented young woman.
This organization has not only helped me but many other girls, too. One of the goals of the Miss America organization is service, and being a titleholder means you do what you can to serve others. I have seen first-hand that Miss Missouri has the ability to have a positive impact on children in a learning environment, and even in politics in Jefferson City. Recently, the Miss Missouri Organization also endowed three $500 scholarships for high school seniors who exude academic achievement, school and community involvement, which are cornerstones of the Miss America Organization and the Miss Missouri Scholarship Pageant.
I decided to enter my first pageant at the age of 9 after my sister, Amanda, had been competing for a few years. Since I looked up to her, and had the idea that I wanted to model myself after her, I asked my mother if I could compete. I am very fortunate that I had a supportive, rather than pushy, “pageant mom.” It has been my experience through the years to see mothers forcing their daughters to go through competition and teasing their hair to the point of tears, which thankfully, I never endured. She always said, “Do it as long as you’re having fun and I’ll always be proud of you.” I’ve remembered those words every step of the way.
At my first competition I slouched in a chair during my interview, looked at my feet and played with my dress. I was disappointed when I learned later that night that I didn’t even place. Now, a seasoned veteran, I have won countless titles and have had the opportunity to share my platform, agriculture awareness, with hundreds of people across the state.
Platforms are another example of how this organization deals with women of substance. The Miss America Organization encourages women to have opinions and express themselves, and the point of a platform is to allow contestants to promote something they feel passionate about. The goal of my platform is to promote agriculture in schools and communities and inform people about the importance of agriculture, which has been something I’ve been interested in and passionate about my entire life. Because of this aspect of competition, I am now pursuing a career in agricultural journalism.
Many other young women involved in the Miss America Organization have had similar experiences.
“I cannot imagine what kind of person I would be today without pageants,” said Sydney Friar, a freshman at Missouri State University who’s been involved in pageants for 10 years. “I was once a shy little girl with very low self-esteem, and I have now become a confident young woman who is never afraid to step out of her comfort zone. I have gained skills in performing, poise and presenting myself in a professional manner, skills that will help me in all aspects of life.”
Friar is not the stereotypical pageant girl either.
“I have my nose and lip pierced, I have a little bit of an edgy look and I’m definitely not the most 'girly' girl,” Friar said. “That’s the wonderful thing about pageants though; they attract girls of all kinds.”
Charlie Runnels, a senior at Missouri State University, is no stranger to the stage. She has been performing as a singer for more than 12 years, but she credits the Miss America Organization for her new-found confidence.
“Before [competing in pageants], when I performed I would get on stage, do my singing and performing and get off without really speaking to the audience,” Runnels said. “Now, because of pageants I feel more comfortable speaking onstage to an audience and can incorporate that into my act, which has helped my stage presence and stage professionalism tremendously.”
One of the biggest aspects of competition is the talent portion, which is worth 40 percent of the total score. For many, including myself, this is the best part. I’ve been playing the piano since the age of four, under the instruction of my mother. I always enjoyed it, but limited my performances to practices, lessons and recitals. Competing in pageants has opened up an entire network of performance opportunities. For example, this past summer I performed at the Nodaway County Fair in Maryville, Mo. I found new confidence in my abilities and auditioned for the National Piano Guild. I started studying under a graduate from Julliard and recently was instructed by a nationally acclaimed talent coach in Kansas City, Mo. I definitely think one of the great things about the Miss America organization is that it encourages young women to develop their talents and take pride in their work, but remain humble in competition at the same time.
Recently, the Miss America Organization made a partnership with the Children’s Miracle Network. This partnership gives the organization a national platform and provides the children’s network with a national goodwill ambassador, but at the same time, it requires that contestants at the local, state and national levels contribute money to the Children’s Miracle Network. Many contestants, directors and boards see the positive aspects in forming this new partnership, but also think it is detrimental to the system. The past year, local competitions saw lower numbers and interest and many feel the $100 entry fee for each local pageant is to blame.
“My only negative feeling about this organization is the fact that now we have to pay to enter each preliminary pageant,” Friar said. “I think it’s great that we are supporting such an amazing organization, but after competing in multiple pageants, it begins to get a little expensive.”
If I had anything negative to say about the Miss America Organizations, I would say the same as Friar. As a college student, it isn’t easy to hand over $100 every time I compete in a local pageant, especially when one of the main incentives to participate is the reward of receiving scholarship money, one of the things the Miss America organization prides itself on. It is the world's largest provider of scholarship assistance for young women, providing more than $45 million in cash and tuition scholarship assistance to them each year. Thankfully, the Miss Missouri Organization has decided to put a $400 cap on how much money a contestant needs to raise for the entire competition year.
Runnels had a different view of what she dislikes about the system.
“I wish that the judges could see and know what the contestants know about one another so they don't make the mistake of choosing girls who only say what the judges want to hear,” she said.
Again, I agree here. After being in the system for so long, you do form a “sisterhood” with many of the contestants and see how they act offstage. I will tell you it can be very frustrating when you see the girl win who, to say the least, does not emulate the “role model” figure the Miss America Organization wishes to convey.
But even with politics and weaknesses of the program, what I have gained from this wonderful organization far outweighs the disappointments. Simply put, I would not be the woman I am today had I not been involved in the Miss America Organization. It has allowed me to develop confidence in myself, set and achieve goals and showcase my talents. It has allowed me to be a genuine person and to speak confidently and intelligently, and most of all I’ve learned to respect other young women and encourage them to strive to reach their full potential. I know that this is what this program is all about.
So the next time you run into a pageant girl like me, don’t bash her because of the stereotypes you know. Praise her for having the confidence to face those perceptions, and prove that there is a genuine, intelligent and accomplished young woman behind the crown.
