DC International Pageants Workshop

To help prepare for the Miss and Miss Teen DC International 2011 pageants, held last weekend, I assisted with a workshop for the contestants. My job was to demonstrate stage makeup and to do the makeup prior to their photo shoots later that day. The event was hosted in the facility of a Georgetown boutique, which made it even more fun for all of us!!

I answered the contestant’s many questions about the International System. I also spoke to them about competing for the DC International Title (I was Miss Teen DC International 2009). It was great to see Rita, my former Director. She is always so kind and welcoming to me and my family (she calls my mother “Mom Jules”). She has a special part for both and my sister queen Ashley Smith and I at this year’s pageant- we cannot wait!!!

Chelsey Rogers (Miss DC International 2010 as well as Top Ten finalist at Nationals) and Alexis Harvey (Miss Teen DC International 2010) were both also helping at the event. I love seeing them. Alexis is so sweet and has some a compelling story of homelessness in her youth and overcoming much adversity to become the strong young woman and role model that she is today. Chelsea is incredible! She is beautiful, fabulous and has a personality larger than life. She also is an accomplished lawyer with her own practice- wow!

I feel blessed to have been introduced and to continue to work with such wonderful people as the DC International queens and Director, Rita Sinha. Rita is also very accomplished and will be graduating with her law degree from The George Washington University this May. She specializes in Patent and Intellectual Property law and speaks Japanese and Hindi! She is so supportive and encouraged me to follow my dreams and to compete again for Miss Teen International- I will be eternally grateful to her for her belief in me.

Juliana McKee