Letter to Potential Returning Contestants

December 09, 2014

Letter to Potential Returning Contestants

Dear Class of 2014,

First off, I want to say how much I miss everyone from the pageant. It was such a fun week getting to know some amazing girls from all over the globe, and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. How cool is it that we have friends in almost every single state in the US as well as from countries around the world?

Second, I really hope you are considering returning to the pageant next year. One of the things that I admire the most about our pageant system is that it gives contestants a second chance at their dream of becoming an international titleholder. Most of the time a contestant only has one shot at a “big” title, but this isn't the case with the International Pageants. I think this is an opportunity everyone should definitely take advantage of! After all, two of the three winners from this year were returning contestants with regional titles!

I have had just about every scenario play out for me over the course of my pageant career. I have been the winner, I have been the one standing in the back clapping for the new queen, and I have been the one in the top ten that didn't get my name called, too. I know exactly what it feels like to leave disappointed. However, I look back at past “losses” and realize how they led me to where I am now and also why they were really “wins” even without the crown. I hope none of you consider a time that you didn't win the crown as a failure.

There is so much more to gain from competing in the Miss, Teen, and Mrs. International Pageants than the crown. It is the experience of a lifetime, leads to some incredible friendships, helps us become polished public speakers, allows us to become actively involved in community service, gives us motivation to nourish our bodies and to stay fit, leads us to becoming more confident on and off the stage, and most importantly gives us a louder voice to become positive role models than we could ever have on our own.

I really think each contestant should analyze her performance at nationals last year and use it as a learning experience to come back as an even stronger contestant this upcoming year. I highly recommend watching the DVD to determine your strengths and weaknesses, analyzing your platform, and think about what might’ve been holding you back from the crown. We all always have room for improvement!

I will be touching base with the teens from 2014 over the next few weeks. Please feel free to share your questions, concerns, or comments with me, even if you are not a teen contestant. It is amazing contestants like you that help make the International Pageants such an incredible system. I hope to see some familiar faces in Jacksonville in 2015 and some new ones, too!