I may have never won Miss Ohio, or really even come close; but I have to say, the jobs that my pageant experience has helped me get have made me feel like Miss America at moments anyway.
As I’ve said before, being the Face of FOX Toledo for a year was exactly like a pageant title, just without the crown. Now, thanks to my experiences from collegiate Forensics (speech) and my pageant platform work, I am a motivational speaker for a company that goes into high schools, giving presentations on how to get into college, and have a successful college and career experience.
Yesterday I was driving home from a presentation north of Detroit and got a call that they needed someone to cover two different schools [today] in Dayton. Worried that I wouldn’t be able to get out of the snow storm due to hit Toledo this morning, they booked me a hotel and I drove down to Dayton last night.
Sure, Miss America would have a chaperone with her, but as I drove to Dayton and checked into my hotel last night I thought, this is what it must be like.
You’re tired, but excited. * You won’t really know anybody, but at the event they’ll all be staring at you. * You have to look and be your best, with clothes you packed in five minutes and steamed in the shower. * You have to wake up at the crack of dawn, to coffee from a midget pot that’s not that good. * Your travel time is triple what you’ll actually have to influence your audience, but you’re message is so strong, and so important and you never know how far your influence will reach…
We talk a lot about finding a woman that can “do the job.” The trouble is that too many contestants let the subjectivity of pageantry whittle away at their confidence and they become consumed with changing to become what they see winning. As we saw from the Miss America reality show this year, it’s not about fitting a certain mold anymore. The important part is gaining experiences that you can walk into the interview room and share with the judges- proving you can do the job. Don’t wait for anyone to give you the validation, least of all, a panel of judges.
I don’t dwell anymore on never winning Miss Ohio, or why I didn’t do that well. I just sit back and smile, knowing with 100% confidence that I could do the job- because I am.
As I’ve said before, being the Face of FOX Toledo for a year was exactly like a pageant title, just without the crown. Now, thanks to my experiences from collegiate Forensics (speech) and my pageant platform work, I am a motivational speaker for a company that goes into high schools, giving presentations on how to get into college, and have a successful college and career experience.
Yesterday I was driving home from a presentation north of Detroit and got a call that they needed someone to cover two different schools [today] in Dayton. Worried that I wouldn’t be able to get out of the snow storm due to hit Toledo this morning, they booked me a hotel and I drove down to Dayton last night.
Sure, Miss America would have a chaperone with her, but as I drove to Dayton and checked into my hotel last night I thought, this is what it must be like.
You’re tired, but excited. * You won’t really know anybody, but at the event they’ll all be staring at you. * You have to look and be your best, with clothes you packed in five minutes and steamed in the shower. * You have to wake up at the crack of dawn, to coffee from a midget pot that’s not that good. * Your travel time is triple what you’ll actually have to influence your audience, but you’re message is so strong, and so important and you never know how far your influence will reach…
We talk a lot about finding a woman that can “do the job.” The trouble is that too many contestants let the subjectivity of pageantry whittle away at their confidence and they become consumed with changing to become what they see winning. As we saw from the Miss America reality show this year, it’s not about fitting a certain mold anymore. The important part is gaining experiences that you can walk into the interview room and share with the judges- proving you can do the job. Don’t wait for anyone to give you the validation, least of all, a panel of judges.
I don’t dwell anymore on never winning Miss Ohio, or why I didn’t do that well. I just sit back and smile, knowing with 100% confidence that I could do the job- because I am.
Hey, you won 5 local titles, all on your 1st or 2nd try! There are many girls who went through the system and never won a local. I would say that's something to be very proud of!!! ;)
ReplyDelete~Nancy
Thanks Nancy,
ReplyDeleteAs you know, I am certainly proud of my local titles. I was referring to my placement - or lack there of :) - at state.
~Abby