Look, I judge people. I love going to the airport, Disneyland, the mall, anywhere and just watching people and judging them. This past weekend though, I was able to put all this judging practice to good use.
A friend of mine had helped me with a few things and I owed her a favor. Well, this friend happens to be a pageant girl. Now when I think pageants I always thought Miss Congeniality, Drop Dead Gorgeous, and Toddlers and Tiaras. They always made the girls out to be completely crazy (which they can be), rude and destructive to the other girls (again, which they can be), and their moms were always nut jobs (I mean, this one is 90% true).
When I met this friend and heard she was a pageant girl I instantly judged her and put her in the category of all the crazies out there. Well, once I got to know her I realized that I had completely misjudged her and she really is an amazing, hard working, strong woman. When I talk to her she tells me that pageants helped her to become the person that she is today, and an amazing person she is.
Well, I got the privilege of judging the local Miss Herriman Scholarship Pageant which feeds into the Miss Utah and eventually Miss America. The great part about this whole program is that it helps these girls gain confidence, become involved in their community, and find a platform that they truly stand behind for the betterment of others.
Being Mr Westminster 2011 I know the kind of time it takes to prepare for this moment. The pageant consisted of interview, talent, swimwear, onstage question, and evening wear. I know that the pressure gets to you for that swimwear for sure. You are putting yourself out there for all to look at.
Then the talent comes and this can make or break you. You really have to go all out and put your best foot forward. This is your time to shine, and believe me, when I did talent I wasn’t about to hold anything back. I mean if you like it you gotta put a ring on it.
The onstage question never makes sense to me until they explained that it’s a way to show if they can focus under pressure. I hated my onstage question, but they’re random and made to make you think on the spot.
But at the end of the show, these girls are walking out in their favorite dress, hair is covered in more aerosol hairspray than ever thought possible, and their confidence it to the roof. The smiles on these girls was lighting up the room and they all felt like they had it in the bag. As a judge, I felt bad that their mood had to go from queen of the world to bottom of the barrel. I just wished that when the pageant was over I could have gone up to them and let them know to keep it up. They’re amazing young women and are doing great things.
What I learned about this amazing program was that it is the number one supporter of women’s scholarships in the country. So I feel that these are a great way to help uplift our young women, support them getting an education, and help improve their confidence while teaching them to be amazing young women.
